[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
July 2 MALAYSIA: Don't axe death penalty just for Sirul, says MP Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh today questioned the government???s announcement that it was considering abolishing the death penalty, asking if this was merely for the purpose of extraditing Sirul Azhar Umar from Australia. In a statement, he welcomed Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's confirmation yesterday that Putrajaya was contemplating removing the death penalty in Malaysia. However, he added that it was unclear if Wan Azizah was advocating this in order to extradite Sirul, who was convicted of the 2006 murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu. ???It must be stated at once that the death penalty ought to be abolished as a matter of principle and not merely to facilitate the return of Sirul as it is an inhumane form of punishment and numerous studies have found it to be an ineffective deterrent," he said. Ramkarpal, who has spoken out against the death penalty before, said the government must have the political will to completely abolish the punishment and impose a moratorium on pending death row cases in the meantime. ???There are currently various crimes that impose the death penalty, and each of them should be amended in the next Parliament sitting to expedite the process of the total abolishment of the death penalty in this country." Wan Azizah had said that Putrajaya was considering doing away with the death penalty in legislation pertaining to criminal offences, which could leave Australia with no choice but to send back Sirul. "That's why we are discussing whether it is necessary for us to change the sentence or replace it with any penalty," she said. Ramkarpal said if the death penalty was abolished, Sirul would likely be extradited as Australia would no longer have any reason to hold him there. "Indeed, if Australia continued to hold him despite the death penalty being abolished, it may be seen as harbouring a convicted murderer without justification which could strain bilateral ties between the 2 countries and tarnish the image of Australia in the eyes of the world," he added. Sirul and his accomplice Azilah Hadri were sentenced to hang in 2009 for Altantuya's murder. Their conviction was overturned in 2013 after questions were raised about how their trial was conducted. However, the Federal Court upheld their death sentences in 2015, by which point Sirul had already fled to Australia. Australian law will not allow Sirul to be sent back to Malaysia as he faces the death sentence. Azilah meanwhile remains on death row in Kajang prison. (source: freemalaysiatoday.com) THAILAND: Justice flaws condemn death penalty A latest claim by an eyewitness, that executed murder convict Teekrasak Longji was not a murderer, has mostly been buried in the death penalty debate where emotions ran high over the past 2 weeks. True, the claim is yet to be proved. But Teerasak will remain dead even if the claim is eventually proved to be true. The new jigsaw piece in the murder case, no matter how credible it is, stands as a reminder that the justice process here in Thailand and elsewhere is not flawless. (source: Opinion; Surasak Glahan Deputy Op-ed Editor, Bangkok Post) INDIA: Punjab wants death penalty for drug peddlers and smugglers The Punjab government has decided to recommend the death penalty for drug peddling or smuggling, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said today. Singh said the recommendation was being forwarded to the Narendra Modi government. "Since drug peddling is destroying entire generations, it deserves exemplary punishment. I stand by my commitment for a drug free Punjab," he wrote in a tweet. Deaths caused by drug overdoses have caused a political slugfest in Punjab. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), an opposition party, said the government had forgotten its pre-election promises, and wasn't serious about combating the smuggling, peddling and consumption of drugs. Last month, a government spokesperson said a Special Task Force had successfully blocked trans-border and interstate-border drugs supply -- with 16,305 cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, and 18,800 people arrested since March 16, 2017. (source: indiatoday.com) BANGLADESH: 2 get death for killing child in Narayanganj A Narayanganj court today gave death penalty to 2 people for killing an 11-year-old child after abduction in Kadamtali Navana City area near Siddhirganj in 2012. Judge Mohammad Robiul Awal came up with the verdict today against Mohiuddin Hasanat, 30, the brother in-law of Ashikur and his assistant Saiful Islam, 30, after they were proven guilty. During the verdict, Mohiuddin was present while Saiful is still a fugitive, reports our Narayanganj correspondent quoting Fazlur Rahman, public prosecutor (PP) of Narayanganj District Court. In 2012, centering a
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----USA
jULY 2 USA: Support for death penalty rising, even among faithsPercentage of approval up since 2016 After 4 decades of decreasing support for the death penalty, the tables have turned. A recent Pew Research study showed that American support for the death penalty has increased about 5 % since 2016. Today, 54 % of Americans support it while 39 % oppose. In 2016, a Pew study conducted in August and September stated that 49 % of Americans favored the death penalty. In the 1990s, the % in favor (78 %) was always greater than the opposing percentage (18 %). The 2018 study showed the majority of the opposed are Democrats. Between the Democrats and the Republicans, the Republicans hold a 77 % favor rate over the Democrats who hold a 35 % support rate. The statistics were broken down even further with race percentages. According to the study, 59 % of whites, 36 % of blacks, and 47 % of Hispanics approve of the death penalty for murder suspects. However, in 2016, 57 whites, 26 blacks, and 36 Hispanics were in favor. In the 2016 and 2018 studies, the highest % of favor came from whites and the highest % of opposed came from blacks with 52 % in 2016 and 63 % in 2018. Whitney Wilson, an African American woman, believes the rise in support of the death penalty has a lot to do with how society chooses to enforce justice. "I think, personally, the support has increased because society wants to hold offenders accountable for their actions. Society cares less about the value of a criminal's life. A while ago, society wanted to see offenders sit in prison and learn from their mistakes, but now their view has changed." According to Pew Research, Americans under the age of 30 are divided. Around 47 % of Americans are in favor of the death penalty while 46 % oppose. However, those percentages are not far off from the ones of Americans aged 30 and above, with 56 % of respondents between ages 30-49 in favor and ages 50 to 65 and above in the same range. Willie Massey, 21, is in favor of the death penalty, but only in certain situations. "I think the death penalty should be used in extreme situations like mass murders, serial killings, serial rapings, crimes against kids, and things of that sort. It shouldn't be used on someone who has like drug related charges or anything." While there are differing race, age, and political opinions on the subject, there are also many religious opinions. White evangelical Protestants in favor of the death penalty for those who committed murder is at 73 %. Also, 61 % of white mainline Protestants approve. Between Catholics and the unaffiliated, 53 and 48 % are in favor, respectively. Blanca Luna, a devoted Catholic, thinks that even religious people can be in favor of the death penalty. "It has always been a very tricky thing. I'm borderline both [in favor and opposed]. Yeah, my decision is swayed because of my religion. I don't agree with it but there are some cases where I would consider it. For example, in serial killing cases." Though the percentages of support are high for some religions, there is also a sizable amount of worshipers who oppose. According to the People of Faith Against the Death Penalty website, in 2012 the Durham-based organization launched a campaign to repeal the death penalty. The campaign was brought to the attention of the state of North Carolina, federal government, and the military. "Throughout the early history of PFADP, and into today, there has been a deep and abiding moral and religious commitment among the organizers that understands God's displeasure with capital punishment," the Rev. James Lewis, PFADP co-founder and former president said on the organization website. "There has been, as well, perseverance present among PFADP folks, guided by God's spirit, that will not allow for rest until North Carolina and the nation closes down the death chambers, once and for all." (source: Charlotte Post) ___ A service courtesy of Washburn University School of Law www.washburnlaw.edu DeathPenalty mailing list DeathPenalty@lists.washlaw.edu http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/listinfo/deathpenalty Unsubscribe: http://lists.washlaw.edu/mailman/options/deathpenalty
