September 28
VIETNAM:
3 drug traffickers arrested in northern Vietnam
Police of Vietnam's northern Son La province said on Friday they detained 3
local men on Thursday when they were transporting 10 cakes of heroin.
The trio included Hang A Giong, 38, Hang A Ho, 34, and Hang A Ly, 29, all from
Son La's Muong La district. The provincial police were further investigating
the case.
According to the Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of
heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making
or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces
death penalty.
(source: xinhuanet.com)
INDONESIA:
Bengkalis court sentences 2 drug traffickers to death
A group of activists ask President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to postpone the
execution of death row inmate Merri Utami in a peaceful rally on Jl.Pahlawan in
Semarang, Central Java, on Thursday. The President was also called on to grant
the clemency request Merri had filed.
The Bengkalis District Court in Riau sentenced 2 people to death on Wednesday
after they were found guilty of violating the Narcotics Law by transporting 10
kilograms of powdered methamphetamine.
According to court documents, the police arrested 38-year-old M. Hanafi of
Batubara, North Sumatra, and Riko Fernando of Pekanbaru, Riau, after they were
caught transporting pressed methamphetamine powder last December during a raid
in Siak Kecil district, Bengkalis regency, Riau.
Both Hanafi and Riko claimed that they were instructed by a Lampung Prison
inmate to deliver the meth packages from Dumai, Riau, to Lampung for Rp 130
million (US$8,700). However, they had only received Rp 4 million as transport
money.
They said they had no idea where the packages of meth had come from as they
were only ordered to pick up the packages from Dumai.
The prosecutor from the Bengkalis District Attorney's Office demanded the
defendants receive capital punishment as per the 2009 Narcotics Law.
"They have worsened the drug trafficking problem in the country," presiding
judge Sutarno said.
Their lawyer, Farizal, said they were still considering whether to file an
appeal for the sentence.
In response, prosecutor Agrin Nico Reval said they would also consider the
possibility of an appeal.
"If the defendants decide to go forward with the appeal, we are ready to file
one too," he said.
(source: The Jakarta Post)
IRAN:
Kurdish member of Iran’s Guards sentenced to death on espionage charges
A rights group on Thursday confirmed an Iranian Kurdish (Rojhilati) member of
the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was handed a capital punishment
sentence in August on charges of association with opposition groups to Tehran.
Arsalan Khodkam, nearly forty days ago, was "sentenced to death by the Military
Prosecutor Office's 23rd branch on charges of espionage and cooperation with
the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan [PDKI],' according to a report by
Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, an entity that logs human rights
violations involving Kurds in Iran.
The report explains that Khodkam, 50, was from the Kurdistan Province's city of
Mahabad and was a Peshmerga in the PDKI in his youth. But, in the early
nineties, he turned himself in and shortly after, joined the ranks of the IRGC.
Mahabad security forces arrested him in March and have since held him in Urmia
Central Prison.
On Aug. 20, the Second Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Urmia condemned
Mohyeddin Ebrahimi to death on charges of membership in the Kurdistan
Democratic Party of Iran (KDP-I), another group that separated from the
aforementioned one after internal disputes in 2006.
In late-2017, Ebrahimi was shot at a checkpoint in Oshnavieh in Iran while
working as a Kulbar - a Kurdish term for individuals who smuggle small amounts
of goods between the Iran-Kurdistan Region border.
The Islamic Regime is notorious for the number of executions per capita it
carries out every year. Recent cases that garnered international attention were
that of Ramin Hossein Panahi and 2 cousins, Loghman and Zanyar Moradi, who were
executed on Sep. 8. In total, 6 Kurdish political prisoners were killed since
then.
On the same day at the executions, Iran carried out a cross-border missile
attack on the headquarters of the KDP-I and PDKI in the Kurdistan Region's town
of Koya, killing 15 people and injuring 42 others.
(source: kurdistan24.net)
*******************
2 Political Prisoners Sentenced to Death
The Revolutionary Court of Urmia city in Iran sentenced Mohiaddin Ebrahimi, a
political prisoner, to death. Moreover, the Supreme Court accepted the death
sentence of Arsalan Khodkam, another political prisoner at the same Urmia
prison.
According to a close source, Mohiaddin Ebrahimi was sentenced to death on the
charge of "cooperation with Kurdish opposition parties" at Branch 2 of the
Revolutionary Court of Urmia.
Mohiaddin Ebrahimi, 43, was arrested by the Revolutionary guards on November 3,
2017. He was wounded at the time of the arrest. He was also sentenced to 3
years for insulting the judge. He is currently held at ward 12 of Urmia Prison
which is dedicated to political prisoners.
Moreover, the death sentence of Arsalan Khodkam was accepted by the Supreme
Court and he was assigned a public defender. The authorities did not permit
Arsalan to have a Lawyer of his won choice.
Khodkam had 6 hearings at the Revolutionary Court of Urmia and his case was
sent to Branch 32 of the military court of Urmia while no sentences were issued
for him. Eventually, 35 days ago, the military court sentenced him to death on
the charge of "espionage and cooperation with opposition parties" without
appointing a public defender for him.
Arsalan Khodkam is currently held at ward 3 of Urmia central Prison which is
dedicated to general offences.
(source: Iran Human Rights)
INDIA:
Jharkhand: 2 Naxals awarded death penalty for murdering 6 police personnel
A court in Dumka, Jharkhand on Wednesday, sentenced 2 Naxalites to death for
killing a superintendent of police and 5 other policemen in Dumka district 5
years ago.
Ahead of the judgement, adequate security arrangements were made in the court.
The duo was brought to the court amid tight security.
Additional session judge, Mohd Taufiqul Hassan had on 6th September convicted
the 2 Maoists, namely, Sanatan Baski and Sukhlal Murmu alias Pravir Da and
acquited 5 others due to lack of evidence. These 2 convicts were awarded
capital punishment today.
Sukhlal Murmu alias Pravir Da is a resident of Badwadih village of Giridih
district. While Sanatan Baski is a resident of Chirudih village in Dumka
district.
Additional Public Prosecutor, Surendra Prasad Sinha, stated that the duo had
killed the then Pakur Superintendent of Police Amarjeet Balihar and 5 other
policemen in an onslaught near Kathikund while they were returning to Pakur
after attending a meeting with the deputy inspector general of police Priya
Dubey, in Dumka on 2nd July 2013.
Sinha added that Pravir Da, a member of the outfit's Special Area Committee
(Bihar and Jharkhand), is serving life term since August 9, 2016, in connection
with another murder case.
In a similar case last year a court in Munger district of Bihar had awarded
death sentence to 5 Maoists for an attack in which 2 Central Reserve Police
Force personnel were killed in 2014, retaliating to which the Maoist guerrillas
at a "Jan Adalat" (kangaroo court) in Bihar had 2 days later pronounced death
penalty for the Additional Sessions Judge, Jyoti Swarup Srivastava, who had
awarded the death sentence to their 5 colleagues.
(source: opindia.com)
PAKISTAN:
COAS confirms death sentences of 11 hardcore terrorists: ISPR
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday confirmed death
sentences awarded to 11 hardcore terrorists, according to the army's media
wing.
The convicts were involved in heinous offences related to terrorism, including
attacking armed forces, law enforcement agencies, destruction of an educational
institution and killing of innocent civilians, said the Inter-Services Public
Relations (ISPR).
The convicted terrorists were involved in the killing of 69 people - 49
civilians and 20 uniform persons - and injuring 148 others.
Arms and explosives had also been recovered from their possession. A special
military court had awarded death sentence to these convicts, added ISPR. The
court also awarded imprisonment to 4 convicts.
The convict was a member of a proscribed organisation. He abetted terrorist
commander Jamshed by designing and preparing a Vehicle Borne Improvised
Explosive Device for a terrorist attack at Suikarno Chowk, Khyber Bazar,
Peshawar. The blast resulted in the death of 48 people and injuries to 109
others.
The convict confessed his offences before a judicial magistrate and the trial
court. He was awarded the death penalty.
He is a member of a proscribed organisation. The convict was involved in
attacking armed forces and LEA personnel. He had participated in the killing of
Lieutenant Umar Javed, Subedar Mohammad Mohsin, Havildar Amir Mohammad along
with three other soldiers and injuring 14 others.
The convict confessed his offences before a judicial magistrate and the trial
court. He was awarded the death sentence.
He is a member of a proscribed organisation. He abetted terrorist Shina Fiaz
Ullah, a suicide bomber, to attack Saddar Police Station Kohat. Constable
Khurshid Ahmed, Constable Mohammad Noor, and Constable Fayaz ul Husnain had
lost their lives in the attack. The blast had also affected 5 others. The
convict confessed his offences before a judicial magistrate and the trial
court. He was awarded the death sentence.
The convict was a member of a proscribed organisation. He was involved in
attacking armed forces and LEAs. He was held responsible for the death of
Havildar Musaver Khan, Sepoy Sohail Iqbal, Constable Fazal Malik in terrorist
attacks.
He was also found in possession of firearms. The convict confessed his offences
before a judicial magistrate and the trial court. He was awarded the death
sentence.
The convict was a member of a proscribed organisation. He was involved in
attacking personnel of the armed forces, killing Havildar Mohammad Yar and 2
soldiers.
The convict confessed his offences before a judicial magistrate and the trial
court. He was awarded the death sentence.
He is a member of a proscribed organisation. He was held responsible for
attacking the armed forces of Pakistan. He had killed Sepoy Mohammad Rafique
and injured Major Mohammad Akmal Hayat along with 9 other soldiers.
The convict confessed his offences before a judicial magistrate and the trial
court. He was awarded the death sentence.
The convict is a member of a proscribed organisation. He was involved in the
destruction of the Rubicon College Gulibagh (Swat) and attacking the armed
forces of Pakistan. He was held responsible for the death of Sepoy Asif Mehmood
and injuries to Major Abdul Qayyum along with 2 soldiers.
He was also found in possession of firearms and explosives. The convict
confessed his offences before a judicial magistrate and the trial court. He was
awarded the death sentence.
The convict was a member of a proscribed organisation. He was involved in
attacking LEAs, killing Police Constable Mushtaq Ahmed, and injuring 2 other
police officials and a civilian.
The convict confessed his offences before a judicial magistrate and the trial
court. He was awarded the death sentence.
The convict is a member of a proscribed organisation. He was found involved in
attacking the personnel of armed forces. He was held responsible for the death
of Sepoy Asal Jan and injuries to another soldier.
The convict confessed his offences before a judicial magistrate and the trial
court. He was awarded the death sentence.
The convict was a member of a proscribed organisation. He was held responsible
for attacking LEAs, which resulted in the death of Police Constable Manzoor
Khan and injuries to another official.
The convict confessed his offences before a judicial magistrate and the trial
court. He was awarded the death sentence.
The convict is a member of a proscribed organisation. He was involved in
killing a civilian, Abdul Rehman, a member of a village defence committee. The
convict confessed his offences before a judicial magistrate and the trial
court. He was awarded the death sentence.
(source: dawn.com)
CHINA----execution
School Attacker Who Killed Nine Children Executed By Firing Squad
A Chinese man who killed nine school children in a stabbing spree has been
executed by firing squad.
Reuters reported that Zhao Zewei, 28, was killed in Mizhi county in the
northwestern province of Shaanxi on Thursday, having been sentenced to death in
July.
On April 27, Zhao launched a knife attack on his former middle school in
Shaanxi killing nine children and wounding another 12. He was charged with
homicide and executed after the sentence was approved by China’s supreme court.
Reuters cited a statement released by the Yulin City Intermediate Court
explaining Zhao attacked the school because he was angry at his own
misfortunes. Zhao was reportedly bullied during his time at the school, and
retained a grudge against the institution.
He reportedly planned to attack former classmates who had led the bullying, but
unable to find them, he chose instead to attack current students at the school,
the Xinhua news agency reported.
Zhao armed himself with 3 knives and headed to the school, waiting outside for
students to finish their lessons and travel home. As they emerged, he rushed at
the children and attacked. The court's statement said Zhao's "despicable"
crimes were committed using an especially cruel method, justifying the death
penalty.
Footage released by Sina News showed Zhao being led to the execution ground in
shrubland close to a road in Mizhi county. Dozens of locals gathered to watch
from a distance as police secured the area.
Zhao's execution is one of several recent high-profile death sentences in
China. Last week, a nanny in the eastern state of Hangzhou was executed for
setting a fire in her employers' apartment, which killed the whole family of 4.
Mo Huanjing said she planned to extinguish the fire and gain credit for saving
the family, hoping to be rewarded financially and pay off her gambling debts.
And in June, 2 alleged drug dealers were executed in front of hundreds of
spectators in Haikou, a city on the island province of Hainan. The men were
taken to the execution ground to await the sentence, and killed as soon as it
was received. Many of those watching were children brought on a trip by their
school to watch the sentence carried out.
China does not release figures for how many people it executes each year, but
it believed to be the most prolific user of the death penalty worldwide. Human
rights groups say China executes more prisoners each year than all other
countries in the world combined.
(source: newsweek.com)
GAZA STRIP:
EU Missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah condemn death sentences issued in Gaza
The European Union Representative and the EU Heads of Mission in Jerusalem and
Ramallah condemned on Thursday the death sentences issued in the Gaza Strip on
9 September against 2 Palestinians convicted of murder.
A statement by the Missions said the EU considers capital punishment to be
"cruel and inhuman" and therefore "abolition of the death penalty contributes
to the protection of human dignity and the progressive development of human
rights."
They called on the "de facto authorities in Gaza" to "refrain from carrying out
any executions of prisoners and comply with the moratorium on executions put in
place by the Palestinian Authority, pending the abolition of the death penalty
in line with the global trend and following the signing of the Second Optional
Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights."
Gaza courts issued 2 separate death sentences on September 9 against 2 people
convicted of murder in Gaza City and Khan Younis in the south, in addition to 2
life terms in the Khan Younis case for murdering a money changer in 2013.
This is the fourth death sentence issued in Gaza since 2018, according to the
Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights, which also said that 204 death
sentences, not including the latest 2, were issued since the inception of the
Palestinian Authority in 1994, 174 of them in the Gaza Strip, including 116
issued by the de facto Hamas authority since its takeover of the coastal
enclave in 2007, and 30 in the West Bank.
It said 41 sentences were executed since 1994, among them 39 in Gaza, of which
28 were executed by Hamas without the ratification of President Mahmoud Abbas
as required by law, and 2 in West Bank.
(source: Palestinian News Agency)
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO:
Amend capital punishment law
THE EDITOR: Our last hanging was July 1999, 20 years ago. At the end of 2017
there were 31 people under sentence of death in prison. How close are we really
to hanging a convicted person? I don't think we would be hanging anyone again
in TT.
Can legislation dealing with capital punishment be amended as murder is defined
as unlawful killing of another with the intent to kill (death by hanging).
If the intention was to cause grievous bodily harm and the victim dies in the
process, why not sentence the defendant to a term of imprisonment based on the
victim's life expectancy?
Therefore, if the victim was 57 years old, the defendant would have to serve a
minimum of 23 years. If the victim was within 5 years of his life expectancy,
the term of imprisonment would be the difference of the victim's life
expectancy plus the difference of the defendant's life expectancy - 80 years.
We will still have hanging on our law books.
ANDREW MORRIS via e-mail
(source: Letter to the Editor, newsday.co.tt)
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