WordPress.com



DEATH PENALTY REPORT – JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2019Date format: day/month/yearInternational Report (from 9.1.18 – 13.2.19)USATexas – 9.1.19 – Former Texas Judge Elsa Alcala, who called in 2016 for a review of the constitutionality of the State’s death penalty, has now called for a moratorium in order to investigate why Texas has ‘such a high percentage of people who get the death penalty and are executed as compared to the rest of the Country.’ (Source: Houston Chronicle.)30.1.19 – Robert Jennings, who had been convicted of murder, and who had been on death row for almost 30 years, was executed. (Source: The Texas Tribune.)DPIC Annual Report – 15.1.19 – The Death Penalty Information Centre published its report for the USA in 2018. Key findings were that Washington became the 20th State to abolish the Death Penalty; fewer than half of Americans believe the death penalty is applied fairly; for the first time in 25 years, fewer than 2,500 people face active death sentences; and no US County imposed more than two death sentences for the first time in the modern era. (Source: NCADP/DPIC.)Missouri – 22.1.19 – The Missouri Supreme Court is to hear arguments in a case challenging the legality of one aspect of the State’s death penalty statute whereby a Judge can impose capital punishment, even when a jury cannot agree its justification. (Source: KCUR.) Washington – 23.1.19 – The Republican Senator Keith Wagoner has called for the death penalty to be retained as an option for sentencing prisoners who are accused of murder while incarcerated. The State Supreme Court ‘tossed out’ the death penalty in October and converted all death sentences to life imprisonment. The Democratic Chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee has said the bill will not receive a hearing – ‘We are going to hear a bill to abolish the death penalty’. (Source: The Daily Herald.)5.2.19 – In a press release, the State’s Catholic Bishops publicly declared their support for the Senate Bill 5339, which seeks to repeal the death penalty and require that life imprisonment without the possibility of parole becomes the sentence for aggravated first-degree murder convictions. (Source: National Catholic Reporter.) Iowa – 23.1.19 - Senator Jerry Behn plans to introduce a bill calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty for crimes where the ‘aggravating circumstances established beyond a reasonable doubt outweigh any mitigating circumstances’ in first-degree capital murder cases. This bill would be narrower in scope than the bill introduced by Representative Skyler Wheeler earlier in the week. Key lawmakers have said the bills are likely to be debated but unlikely to be approved. Note: capital punishment was abolished in the State of Iowa 54 years ago but bills are regularly introduced in attempts to reinstate it. (Source: The Gazette.)Wyoming – 23.1.19 – House Bill 145, a proposed measure to end the death penalty, was endorsed by the House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee and will now go to the full House for further debate. Attempts made in previous years have failed, but Bill sponsor Republican Rep. Jared Olsen argues that it would save money and deal with concerns regarding government power of life and death over its citizens. (Source: Local News 8.) 1.2.19 – The Bill was approved 36-21 by the House State of Representatives, and sent to the Senate for further debate. (Source Kota TV). Nebraska – 25.1.19 – The State Supreme Court rejected an appeal by prisoners on death row, who claimed their punishments became void when the Legislature repealed capital punishment in 2015, prior to its reinstatement by voters the following year. The 8 prisoners have been advised that they have other legal means of challenging their sentences individually. Note: In August of last year Nebraska carried out its first execution for 21 years, when it was the first State to use the opioid fentanyl in a lethal injection. (Source: Reuters.)North Carolina – Jan.19 - According to new polling results, Support for capital punishment in the State has fallen dramatically, with only 25% of voters saying they prefer the death penalty for people convicted of first-degree murder. (Source: Death Penalty Information Centre.)Belarus – 11.1.19 – Two days after the authorities imposed a death sentence on Alyaksandr Asipovich, found guilty of murder, the European External Action Service called on the Country to abolish capital punishment, and to impose lesser sentences on Mr Asipovich and all prisoners on death row. (Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.)Canada/China – 14.1.19 – Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister, has expressed ‘extreme concern’ at the sentence to death imposed by a Chinese Court at the re-trial of Robert Schellenberg, convicted of drug smuggling. China has denied that political factors have influenced this decision. (Source: The Washington Post.)UK/USA – 18.1.19 – The mother of the alleged member of Isis, El Shafee Elsheikh, has lost her legal challenge against the Home Office decision to share evidence with the US without seeking assurances that her son and a second alleged terrorist will not face the death penalty. Both men have been stripped of their UK citizenship. (Source: The Guardian.)10.2.19 – Charles Walker, Chair of the Commons Procedure Committee, has reprimanded the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, for failing to respond to written queries from Caroline Lucas, Green MP, regarding the fate of El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexandra Kotey, the second young man at risk of extradition. Ms Lucas believes the refusal to answer is part of a wider pattern of Home Office evasion: ‘…He must listen to the Chair of the Procedure Committee and urgently come clean about the Government’s record on the death penalty.’ (Source: The Guardian.) Pakistan – 29.1.19 - The Supreme Court upheld the acquittal of Asia Bibi, the Christian woman who had spent 8 years on death row following a charge of blasphemy. The Court rejected a challenge to the October ruling brought by an extreme Islamist party. She had been held in a secret location, and is now expected to be flown out of the Country. Two of her children are reportedly in Canada, which has offered her asylum. (Source: The Guardian.)India – 3.2.18 – The third edition of the Death Penalty Report by Project 39A of the Centre on Death Penalty at National Law University (NLUD indicates that the tendency of trial courts to impose death sentences is on the rise. In 2018 trial courts imposed 162 death sentences, an increase from the 008 in 2017, and the highest number since 2,000. Legislative changes in the course of the year widened the scope of the death penalty but, on the other hand, all but one of the death penalty cases heard in 2018 were commuted. See link above for full details of the report. (Source: Bar & Bench.)The Philippines – 4.2.19 – The House of Representatives reimposed the death penalty in the Country’s penal system for those found guilty of being in possession of dangerous drugs during parties, social gatherings and meetings. (Source: Manila Bulletin.)6.2.19 – The House withdrew its approval on the third and final reading of the bill. (Source: The Philippine Star.)Yemen – 8.2.19 – An email was received from AIUK thanking those who have taken part in the campaign on behalf of Asmaa al-Omeissy, the young woman whose husband is an al-Qaida suspect, and who was taken into detention while fleeing her home to reunite with her father and, following enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment, sentenced to death. Amnesty are continuing to try to establish the current situation. (Source: Amnesty International.)Sri Lanka – 11.2.19 – The Department of Prisons said on Monday that applications have been sought to recruit two hangmen. The announcement came only two days after President Sirisena vowed to end a 42-year moratorium on the death penalty within two months, having taken the decision despite Sri Lanka’s becoming party to a UN moratorium on the death penalty in 2016. He stated that the execution of prisoners convicted of drug-related crimes was necessary in view of the fast-spreading drug menace within the nation. 48 such prisoners are currently on death row. The country’s last execution took place in 1976, since when successive Presidents have refused to sign death warrants. (Source: News 18.)Malaysia – 12.2.19 – The NGO Gerakan Pembela Ummah called on the Malaysian Government to hold a referendum before taking any move towards abolishing the death penalty. They claimed it was needed to control the current high level of crime, that tax payers’ money should not be used to keep criminals alive, and that the Muslim majority accepted capital punishment within Islamic law. (Source: FMT News.)Urgent ActionsSaudi Arabia - An email UA was received from Amnesty on behalf of Israa al-Ghomgham, whose trial was about to begin. (Circulated to DPLWG 12.1.19) A further email was received on 2.2.19 with the information that – following massive outrage – the authorities had dropped their call for Israa to be executed. Thank you to all who took action on her behalf. She, and her four fellow prisoners are, however, facing long prison sentences. Action on her behalf will continue and further updates are expected.Yemen – an email was received from AIUK calling for a Twitter Action on behalf of Asmaa al-Omeissy, a 23 -year-old mother sentenced to death by the Huthi-aligned Specialised Criminal Court. The final verdict is expected on 4th February. Asmaa faces a separate sentence of 100 lashes for travelling in a car with her male co-defendants. She has been tortured and illtreated and was subjected to a grossly unfair trial. (Circulated to DPLWG 26.1.19. CampaigningThe NCADP are currently promoting a new film In the Executioner’s Shadow which ‘casts a penetrating look at the consequences of the death penalty through three powerful stories – a former state executioner who comes within days of executing an innocent person; a Boston Marathon bombing victim who struggles to decide what justice really means; and the parents of a murder victim who choose to fight for the life of their daughter’s killer.’The producers of the film, Sideways Film – who can be contacted in London – have been approached for further details. Their response regarding options and prices will be discussed at the February meeting. An alternative would be to approach the Anti-Death Penalty campaign organisers in London with a view to AIHQ’s obtaining a copy for use around the country. Following an article which appeared in the Salisbury Journal on 17th January, contact has been made with the local artist James Earley, who will be travelling to the USA in June, where he has been commissioned by the Charity Witness to Innocence to paint a series of portraits of death row prisoners who have been exonerated. It is hoped that the local Group might be able to link with him in some way, or that he might be prepared to meet with the Group and speak at an event. The group participated in the Twitter campaign on behalf of Asmaa al-Omeissy on 29.1.19. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download