[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
April 21 CHINA: 2 sentenced to death for drug trafficking in NW China 2 people were sentenced to death in the northwest province of Shaanxi on Monday for trafficking and selling narcotics, while 3 others received the death sentence with reprieve, said local authorities. The Intermediate People's Court in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi, heard that Song Nanyan hired Chen Jin to transport 7.96 kilograms of methamphetamine from the southern province of Guangdong to Xi'an. They also found 1.17 kilograms of Ketamine in Song's hotel room. The court sentenced Song to death, while it ruled Chen should be sentenced to death with a 2-year reprieve. In a separate case, Wang Hui was found guilty of trafficking and selling 1.44 kilograms of methamphetamine and received the death penalty. 2 accessory offenders, Zhang Le and Zhang Zheng, were sentenced to death with reprieve. (source: Xinhua News Agency) PAKISTAN: Pakistan's execution surge carries hard-line message for foreign leaders At least 17 prisoners were executed in Pakistan on Tuesday in an apparent effort to show visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping that the country is serious about improving public safety. The prisoners were hanged in jails across Pakistan as Xi was in Islamabad to announce a $46 billion aid and development package for the energy-starved and cash-poor country. In December, the government lifted a 6-year-old moratorium on capital punishment after the Pakistani Taliban slaughtered about 150 teachers and students at an army-run school in the northwestern city of Peshawar. But while the threat of terrorism was initially cited as the reason for lifting the moratorium, Pakistan is now executing prisoners for a host of other violent crimes. Several of the prisoners executed Tuesday had been convicted of rape, while others had committed murders that do not appear to be linked to Islamist militant groups. Pakistan is now executing prisoners at such a pace that public safety officials said Tuesday that they had lost track of how many had been killed since late December. As of late March, however, the Interior Ministry estimated that 61 executions have been carried out since the moratorium was lifted. And death row appears to be more active when a foreign dignitary is visiting the capital. In January, when Secretary State of John F. Kerry made a two-day visit here, Pakistan hanged 7 prisoners in 1 day. Last month, as Pakistan was preparing to welcome the emir of Qatar, Sheik Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani, it executed 12 people in 1 day. The 17 executions on Tuesday occurred shortly before Xi addressed a joint session of Parliament. Xi said his visit showed that no one can destroy the historical ties between the 2 countries. On Monday, Xi and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif finalized a deal for massive new Chinese investment in highways, energy projects and maritime research in Pakistan. But the full implementation of that deal, including a highway that will link China to the Arabian Sea, could depend on whether Pakistan can dislodge terrorist groups from their havens here. For years, Chinese leaders have been urging Pakistan to crack down on militants who they suspect have ties to Muslim separatists in northwestern China. There also have been concerns about Pakistan's ability to ensure the safety of Chinese engineers and project managers working in the country. After meeting with Xi, Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain said the army will assign 10,000 soldiers to oversee security for Chinese workers in the country. In his speech to Parliament, however, Xi praised the Pakistani military for its ongoing operation against Islamist extremists in the country's northwestern tribal areas. It has made tremendous efforts and endured enormous sacrifices, Xi said. Pakistan is the front-line state which is battling terrorism. But human rights activists and some Pakistani legal scholars are increasingly alarmed by Pakistan's push to execute those on death row. Last week, the Supreme Court blocked the planned executions of 6 prisoners convicted in newly created military courts. The plaintiffs had argued that the sentences had been handed down out of public view and without an opportunity for an appeal. Late last month, Pakistan's Interior Ministry issued a 30-day reprieve for a prisoner whose scheduled execution generated international outrage. Shafqat Hussain had been convicting of kidnapping a 7-year-old boy in 2004. His family and attorneys say Hussain was only 14 at the time and had been tortured into making a confession, which he has since retracted. According to Reprieve, a London-based organization that is against the death penalty, 8,261 people are on death row in Pakistan, including more than 800 juveniles. Pakistan's Express Tribune newspaper reported Tuesday that an additional 10 executions are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. At its
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----USA
April 21 USA: Small band of death penalty opponents rally to spare Tsarnaev's life Through snow, rain and occasional hecklers, Joe Kebartas stood outside the John Joseph Moakley Courthouse and protested against the death penalty. Often he stood outside the federal court alone. Today, before the opening arguments in the death penalty phase of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's terrorism trial, 12 other protestors stood with Kebartas with a variety of signs urging jurors to spare the Boston Marathon bomber's life. It's been great. We've had a big turnout today and we've galvanized in force agains the death penalty, said Kebartas, a retired veteran who lives in South Boston. It will be interesting to see what happens. I hope we influenced the jury to spare his life. If so, we will be victorious. Kebartas said passersby would occasionally walk by and yell Fry him! referring to Tsarnaev, who on April 8 was found guilty on all 30 counts he faced. Sometimes people would tell him to put up the money to keep Tsarnaev alive - for the rest of his life - in federal prison. Other than that, I've had a lot of thumbs up, he said. There has been more positive than negative reactions to my signs against the death penalty. It's Massachusetts - there's more people against it than for it. Kebartas outlasted the Tsarnaev supporters, who had conjured up conspiracy theories about the 2013 twin bombings. He said they were only there for a few days, and for the most part they didn't interact with him or other protestors who joined him. Tsarnaev's defense team, which will spend the next few weeks trying to save their client's life, would walk by and give me a smile, Kebartas said. It was encouraging for me, he said. It was a positive experience for me, and I'm glad I did it. If I wasn't out here, there would be no one. Cornelia Sullivan, of Boston, and Amy Hendrickson, of Brookline, who started leafletting alongside Kebartas last week, said the experience has been important and hope jurors are paying attention. We're trying to persuade people not to kill the guy. I don't know if we will be able to, but we feel it is our moral duty to do this, said Hendrickson. This just extends the chain of violence. It dehumanizes people. (source: Boston Herald) ___ DeathPenalty mailing list DeathPenalty@lists.washlaw.edu http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/listinfo/deathpenalty Search the Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/deathpenalty@lists.washlaw.edu/ ~~~ A free service of WashLaw http://washlaw.edu (785)670.1088 ~~~
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS, DEL., GA., FLA., ALA., TENN., IND., OKLA., USA
April 21 TEXASstay of impending execution State delays execution of child killer Richard Vasquez Richard Vasquez was sentenced to death for the killing of a 4-year-old girl in Corpus Christi. The man who beat his 4 year old stepdaughter to death won't be executed this week. Nueces County District Attorney Mark Skurka says Richard Vasquez has just received a stay of execution. There's no word yet on why. Vasquez was set to be put to death on Thursday for the death of Miranda Lopez in 1998. According to court records the girl was beaten with a fist several times. She took a nap and later fell off a stool while brushing her teeth. The girl died the next day This is the 2nd time this year his execution has been delayed. (source: KRIS news) *** Executions under Greg Abbott, Jan. 21, 2015-present6 Executions in Texas: Dec. 7, 1982present-524 Abbott#scheduled execution date-nameTx. # 7---Apr. 28Robert Pruett525 8---May 12Derrick Charles--526 9---June 3--Les Bower527 10--June 18---Gregory Russeau--528 (sources: TDCJ Rick Halperin) Capital murder trial begins in Red Wing store clerk's killing The capital murder trial of a 22-year-old Arlington man accused of killing a shoe store clerk during a robbery in 2014 began Monday, WFAA reported. Jacob Everett faces the death penalty if convicted. He pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but pled guilty to a charge of aggravated robbery. On Feb. 25, 2014, the clerk, Randy Pacheco, 23, was working his shift as a manager at the Red Wing Shoes store on Cooper Street in Arlington, when Everett shot and killed him while stealing $200, police have said. During opening arguments Monday, a prosecutor said Pacheco was shot once between the eyes. (source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram) DELAWARE: Poll shows Delawareans open-minded to death penalty alternatives As Delaware legislators debate a bill that would repeal the death penalty, a recent survey provides some insight on how Delawareans feel about the issue. When asked what the appropriate punishment for murder should be, a majority of those polled were in favor of an alternative to the death penalty. A significant majority of Delaware residents, 64 %, support some form of life without parole as an alternative to the death penalty, said Eugene Young, with the Delaware Center for Justice. However, in a separate question, 63 % of those polled say they still strongly support or somewhat support the death penalty. The survey was conducted among 573 registered voters in all 3 counties in Delaware. This is the 1st time the Delaware Center for Justice has conducted a public policy poll on the death penalty. The Senate passed the death penalty repeal bill earlier this month. It now heads to the House. Lawmakers tried to pass a similar bill in 2013 but it stalled in the House Judiciary Committee. (source: WDEL news) *** Delaware residents support death penalty unless given alternative A recent poll found that 63 % of people in Delaware initially support the death penalty, but its support decreases when alternatives are given. About 34 % of people polled either strongly opposed or somewhat opposed the death penalty, but a follow up question found that people favor life imprisonment over the death penalty. A significant majority of Delaware residents, 64 %, support some form of life without parole as an alternative to the death penalty, Eugene Young, advocacy director at the Delaware Center for Justice, said. Young said support for capital punishment decreases when alternatives are given. The Public Policy Polling firm was hired by the Delaware Center for Justice, one of several groups attempting to cease the death penalty in the state. Legislators are currently debating a bill that would repeal capital punishment. The bill passed the state's Senate earlier this month and now faces voting in the House. The poll asked 17 questions to 573 Delawareans on the phone between over a 2-day period in April. It is the 1st time the Delaware Center for Justice conducted a poll on the death penalty. This issue has lingered in the ether for far too long, Democratic Rep. Sean Lynn said. The death penalty is morally bankrupt, legally bankrupt and it is intellectually bankrupt. Support for the death penalty in the United States has reached a 40-year low -- with 56 % of people favoring the death penalty for murder convictions and 38 % opposing, according to Pew Research Center. (source: United Press International) GEORGIA: DA Slater seeks death penalty in Connor case Muscogee County District Attorney Julia Slater is seeking the death penalty against a Columbus man charged with
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
April 21 SAUDI ARABIAexecution Saudi beheaded for murdering Indonesian maid Saudi authorities executed a citizen today after convicting him of sexually harassing and brutally murdering his Indonesian maid. Shayea al-Qahtani was found guilty of killing the maid by beating her with a cane and pouring boiling water over her, the interior ministry said. His execution in the southwestern province of Abha was the 63rd in the kingdom so far this year. That compares with 87 in the whole of 2014 in what Amnesty International has called a macabre spike in the kingdom's use of the death penalty. The London-based human rights group ranked Saudi Arabia among the top 3 executioners in the world last year. The interior ministry has said that the death penalty provides an important deterrent. Drug trafficking, rape, murder, apostasy and armed robbery are all punishable by death under the kingdom's strict version of Islamic sharia law. (source: Zee News) IRANexecutions 16 Prisoners Were Hanged in Mashhad and Birjand 16 prisoners with drug related charges were hanged in Mashhad and Birjand during April 16 and 17. According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), 12 prisoners were hanged in Mashhad on April 16 and 4 others in Birjand on April 17. All of these prisoners were sentenced to death for drug related charges. While execution of prisoners in Iran has speed up during recent weeks, official authorities not only have not clarified the cause, but have prevented from informing the families and have cut the contacts from inside to outside of the prison. According to HRANA, the execution of prisoners, specifically prisoners with drug related charges, has speed up, while based on previous hearings, a bill for cancellation of execution for drug related charges was supposed to be submitted to the parliament in May. *** 4 Prisoners Hanged in Zahedan Prison 4 prisoners were hanged in Zahedan prison on the charge of drug trafficking. According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the execution of 4 prisoners who were charged with drug smuggling was performed in Zahedan prison. No official publicizing has been made and there is no information regarding the identity of the prisoners. HRANA can just confirm the number of prisoners who have been hanged. According to HRANA, during the recent weeks the number of executions, especially on the drug related charges has increased dramatically, which has caused serious concerns for human rights activists and international human rights organizations. *** Video Footage Showing the Last Words of a Death Row Prisoners Barat Zahmatkesh is 1 of the 11 prisoners who were executed on 14th April in Qezelhesar prison, in Karaj. The following video was recorded just a few days before his execution, in Qezalhesar prison, in Karaj, in which he provides an explanation of his case for the last time and calls for help to rescue him. By release of this seeking help video of Barat Zahmatkesh, this prisoner of drug related crimes, who was executed along with 10 other prisoners in Qezalhesar, on 14th April this year, HRANA tries to get the public attention to the execution and the importance of a fair trial for prisoners. Mr Zahmatkesh, in a conversation with HRANA, believed that to support his family, he had to accept the responsibility for the crime which he had no part in it. He believed that he was deprived of a fair trial. Although the information about this prisoner's case is not publicly available, and his execution reports has not been announced clearly by the relevant authorities, the death penalty in connection with the drugs is one of the biggest challenges in the field of human rights for Iranian government. The challenge that by the Iranian regime after more than 3 decades, is going to take steps towards a more promising in the future, by the bill, which is going to be provided next month for the elimination of the death penalty for drug offenses. HRANA News Agency, in this occasion, invites all Iranian compatriots to participate in the reporting violations of human rights. The people may be interested can send their reports and documents among its video reports to this human rights organization, through Facebook page, website or HRANA's email address; i...@hra-news.org of the human rights organizations. (source for all: HRANA News Agency) LEBANON: Lebanon's ex-minister Samaha pleads guilty to all terrorism charges Former Information Minister Michel Samaha pleaded guilty to all terrorism charges against him on Monday, admitting in court that he had transported explosives from Syria for use in attacks in Lebanon and in order to assassinate Lebanese officials, according to a report by MTV. But Samaha claimed that he had been the victim of entrapment because he was not aware that his
