Nov. 26
IRAN----executions
4 Prisoners Hanged
A prisoner was hanged at Rajai Shahr Prison on Moharebeh charges and 3 other
were executed at Tabriz Central Prison on murder charges.
Execution in Karaj
According to a close source, a prisoner was executed at Rajai Shahr Prison
charged with Moharebeh (waging war against God) on Wednesday November 22. The
prisoner, identified as Majid Sa'adat, was transferred to solitary confinement
on Wednesday November 15. On Wednesday November 21, he was returned to his
cell, while his execution was thought to have been stopped. However, he was
transferred to solitary confinement again on Wednesday and was executed.
Majid Sa'adat was convicted of Moharebeh, while there is no information
regarding his criminal offence and the evidence against him.
"Majid Sa'adat extorted some of the Iranian authorities by posing as government
officials and an agent of the Ministry of Intelligence. However, he was never
aggressive and did not use cold weapons or guns, which would make his crime
count as Moharebeh," Said one of the prisoner's relatives to Iran Human Rights
(IHR).
IHR is investigating further into this case.
Execution in Tabriz
According to a report by HRANA News Agency which is also confirmed by Iran
Human Rights (IHR), on the morning of Wednesday November 22, 3 prisoners were
executed at Tabriz Central Prison on murder charges.
Kurdistan Human Rights Network identified the three prisoners as Jamal Qanbari
from Tabriz, Sa'ed Askari from Mianeh, and Ali Delgoshadi from Mamqan.
The executions of these prisoners have not been announced by the state-run
media so far.
(source: Iran Human Rights)
PAKISTAN:
2 get death penalty in murder case
Additional District and Sessions Judge Ejaz Ahmad on Saturday awarded death
sentence to 2 accused involved in a murder case of Sadar police station.
According to the prosecution, Muhammad Nawaz with his 2 accomplices Qaisar and
Rizwan had gunned down Sohail Anjum at Chak 5/NB over some business matters on
February 3. The court awarded 50 years jail imprisonment to Nawaz and Qaisar
with a fine Rs1 million as compensation money for the family of the victim
while the court acquitted Rizwan.
(source: The Express Tribune)
********************
Culture Circle: Play on prisoners on death row to be staged on 28th, 29th
Ajoka Theatre in collaboration with Justice Project Pakistan and Alhamra Arts
Council are set to stage their co-production, Intezaar, on Nov 28 and 29 at
Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall.
The play, written by Shahid Nadeem and directed by UK-based director Dina
Mousawi, is based on true stories of prisoners on death penalty in Pakistan.
It is a unique project that has brought 4 organisations together committed to
human rights and socially meaningful art. Supported and coordinated by Justice
Project Pakistan and Highlight Arts, London, the project has been developed by
creative partners Ajoka and Complicite, London.
An evening was organised in memory of poet and writer Aqeel Ruby in connection
with his 3rd death anniversary at Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture
(Pilac) on Thursday. Speakers, including Syed Noor, Asim Bokhari, Pervaiz
Kaleem, Dr Kanwal Feroze and Yousaf Punjabi paid tributes to Ruby.
Syed Noor said that the success of his movies such as Choorian, Majajan and
Mehndi Walay Hath had immense contribution from Ruby in the form of his
beautiful poetry.
Pilac Director General Dr Sughra Sadaf said the centre would publish Punjabi
literature written by Ruby. He was a university in himself and had great
command over Greek philosophy.
Ruby's widow, Begum Bushra Aqeel, announced that the literary collection of her
husband, including books, would be donated to the Pilac library.
A classical dance performance is scheduled to be held at Ali Auditorium on
Sunday (today).
Faiz Foundation Trust has flown in a 10-member classical dance team from the US
to present a dance drama.
Titled 'The Forgotten', the performance will be based on the history and life
of Empress Noor Jahan. It aims to explore Noor Jahan's strength and influence
in 16th century Mughal India, and how she maintained her power in a
male-dominated empire, only to be almost forgotten in the latter years of her
life and in death.
Through an enthralling performance of South Asian classical dance, live music,
stunning visuals and theatre, kathak artist Farah Yasmeen Shaikh, director
Matthew Spangler and music director Salar Nader, along with their team of
musicians and actors, will deliver the performance surrounding this powerful
woman.
(source: dawn.com)
INDIA:
Cabinet approves death penalty for convicts raping 12-year-old and
below----Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Jayant Malaiya said, "Any person
convicted for raping 12-year-old minor or below will be sentenced to death."
Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approves death sentence for rape convicts in the cases
involving minors of 12-year-old and below.
Jayant Malaiya, Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister confirmed the development and
said, "Any person convicted for raping 12-year-old minor or below will be
sentenced to death."
He added, "Death penalty will also be awarded to convicts of gang rape cases."
The Cabinet also passed an amendment in the penal code to increase fine and
punishment for rape accused was approved.
(source: newsnation.in)
BANGLADESH:
Peelkhana massacre: High Court sentencing on Monday
The High Court proceedings in delivering the verdict over the killings during
the 2009 mutiny at the border guards' headquarters in Dhaka have rolled into
Monday.
A 3-member bench led by Justice Md Shawkat Hossain started announcing the
verdict just before 11am Sunday and adjourned in the afternoon.
Justice Hossain has said the court will reconvene on Monday, when the
sentencing is expected.
The larger bench with Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique and Justice Md Nazrul Islam
Talukder as the 2 other members was formed in 2015 to hear the case, largest in
Bangladesh's history in terms of the number of convicts.
At the beginning of Sunday's proceedings for the verdict at 10:54am, Justice
Siddique spoke on the trial process and the Peelkhana massacre before reading
out his observations.
He continued until the court recessed at 1pm, when he said his observations
were more than 1,000 pages.
When the counsels asked how long it may take, the presiding judge, Justice
Hossain, said: "We can't say that. What we can say is that it's a unanimous
verdict."
The court proceedings resumed an hour later.
At 4pm, Justice Hossain said the court was adjourned for the day to reconvene
at 10:30am on Monday, when Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder will read out a
summary of his observation.
"We hope to start the sentencing before noon tomorrow."
The mutiny that continued for 2 days 8 years ago, a month after a new
government took office, sent shock waves across Bangladesh and to the rest of
the world.
74 people, including 57 army officers, were brutally murdered by the mutineers
on Feb 25-26 in 2009.
In November 2013, a special court of an additional metropolitan sessions judge
awarded the death penalty to 152 soldiers and non-commissioned officers of the
erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles or BDR for the massacre.
The court sentenced 161 others to life in prison and 256 to 3 to 10 years in
jail. It acquitted 277.
Never before had so many accused, 850 in total, been tried in a single case in
the history of Bangladesh.
4 of the accused died during the trial while BNP leader Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu
died after conviction.
After the mutiny, some suggested deeper conspiracies behind the rebellion, but
police investigators concluded that the BDR personnel's grievances led them to
revolt.
The trial court, in its verdict, observed that the mutiny was orchestrated with
the motive to destroy the military security system and might have been
engineered to weaken the economy.
It said involving the border guards in market activities like 'Operation Dal
Bhat', introduced by caretaker government, had been 'unwise'.
The court believed there were intelligence 'gaps' that held back critical
information of a brewing mutiny.
(source: bdnews24.com)
IRELAND:
Entertainment Book Reviews
The man of persuasion who changed history----Politics: John Hume In America:
From Derry to DC, Maurice Fitzpatrick, Irish Academic Press, hardback, 208
pages, 26.49 euros
Martina Devlin on a new book that advances the case that John Hume's US
connections proved to be a game-changer in the Northern conflict.
'Bring back hanging" was one of Margaret Thatcher's tactics for dealing with
the Troubles. In 1983, a vote was held at Westminster on reintroducing the
death penalty for murder "resulting from acts of terrorism" - the IRA was its
target.
That capital-punishment debate in the House of Commons, one of several during
her premiership, is an example of how persistently she misunderstood Ireland.
Fortunately, John Hume was at his eloquent best, warning: "If the House wants
the IRA to win, then hang them."
Thatcher voted in favour of the death penalty, while DUP leader Rev Ian Paisley
described it as wholly necessary. By contrast, his SDLP counterpart warned MPs
it would increase violence rather than eradicate it: "What is now a disaster in
Northern Ireland would, if the death penalty were introduced, become an
unmanageable calamity throughout Ireland. There would be many more deaths, both
in Britain and Ireland."
Jogging the Tory government's memory about its disastrous handling of the Long
Kesh hunger strike 2 years earlier, Hume went on: "That hatred, the instability
and the macabre display at that time are as nothing compared with the reaction
that would take place in Ireland if Irish men or women were hanged under
British law."
What would have happened to the Guildford 4 and Birmingham 6 under an execution
policy? Fortunately, such a scenario was never put to the test because the
majority of MPs agreed with Hume and the motion fell. It is a reminder of how a
conviction politician who is a persuasive orator can change the course of
history, as Hume undoubtedly did throughout his lengthy career.
His progress from civil rights activist to nationalist leader to international
statesman is an example of 'cometh the hour, cometh the man' (or woman). The
Derryman, who won a Nobel Peace Price for his unswerving allegiance to
non-violent methods, transformed politics on this island. His legacy is the
Good Friday Agreement of 1998 - he is one of the primary architects.
This new book, John Hume in America: From Derry to DC, charts his outstanding
skills in building alliances and making the case for a just settlement. It also
reminds readers of how he earned huge respect and influence internationally in
the seats of powers in London, Washington and Europe.
Until the civil-rights movement began in 1968, politics in the Republic ignored
the North. Politicians representing the nationalist minority - one third of the
population - protested in vain against systemic discrimination, while the
unionist majority blocked all reforms. As for Britain, which had allowed the
state to be set up with a unionist veto and without protections for
nationalists, its political leaders shrugged their shoulders.
Hume changed all that. He devised a constitutional path and showed how it could
work. He realised that three sets of relationships needed to be constructed:
between the two communities in the North, between North and South and between
Ireland and Britain. It sounds obvious today, but he was the first to
articulate it and form partnerships that would eventually deliver it.
Hume-speak, as it came to be called, is embedded in the Good Friday Agreement.
Respect for difference is at its core. He was often teased about his single
transferable speech but his message is an important one: co-operate, there's
strength in diversity, spill sweat and not blood.
Hume has been an outstanding political leader, according to biographer Maurice
Fitzpatrick, and few could disagree. But he has, perhaps, been a leader too
large for his SDLP party.
Much time was spent in Washington, which he rightly identified as pivotal to
nudging Britain towards agreeing a solution on the North. Thatcher said
privately later that US pressure made her accept the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement
- a climbdown from her famous "out, out, out" eruption.
The stoical Seamus Mallon, who was to become Deputy First Minister, remembers
that Hume's absences were unsettling for the party he co-founded.
"He went on solo runs which was sometimes very disturbing for other members,"
the book quotes him as saying, while he also acknowledges that Hume's close
work with the White House, Capitol Hill and the EU was pivotal in delivering a
solution.
Elsewhere, some in the Republic feared Hume would drag the rest of Ireland into
civil war. Conor Cruise O'Brien, who wrote for this newspaper, was a persistent
critic.
What I find contradictory about the former government minister's position is
that he is characterised as an intellectual, yet he used draconian censorship
laws (section 31 of the Broadcasting Act) to impose his case rather than rely
on the logic or fluency of his arguments. Hume, by comparison, always operated
on the basis of moral argument.
The book, written to coincide with the author's film In the Name of Peace: John
Hume in America, at times has a disjointed feel. It can read as if interviews
to camera were simply transferred to the page. Yet much of the information is
useful, undeniably.
It advances the case that Hume's US connections proved to be a game-changer. He
convinced key Irish-American figures, including Speaker Tip O'Neill and Senator
Edward Kennedy, that his analysis and solution were the way forward. In turn,
they helped him to gain access to the White House under a succession of
leaders, from President Carter to President Reagan to President Clinton.
The Anglo-Irish Agreement followed, building a platform for the peace process
and winning US investment for the North and border region through the
International Fund for Ireland.
It gave Dublin a formal role in the Six Counties for the 1st time. The Irish
Government posted diplomatic representatives to the North, establishing the
Maryfield Secretariat (known as the bunker) which could make recommendations to
London. Before going, their were fingerprinted, and had their dental records
and footprints filed, a grim reminder of the risk taken by the civil servants.
If targeted, their remains might be difficult to identify.
After the agreement, Hume embarked on the biggest gamble of his career -
dialogue with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams. But his view was that if talking
saved even one life, he would talk. Even within his own party, he began to be
doubted. But despite personal vilification he pressed ahead, and the 1994 IRA
ceasefire resulted.
The book includes a thought-provoking quote from Congressman Bruce Morrison:
"We all know that violence is wrong, unfortunately sometimes it is effective.
Politics is right but it is often ineffective."
With Hume, politics operated highly effectively. And everyone on this island is
a beneficiary.
(source: independent.ie)
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