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DEATH PENALTY REPORT: FEBRUARY - MARCH 2021UK Date format: day/month/yearThe death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Amnesty opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception - regardless of who is accused, the nature or circumstances of the?crime, guilt or innocence or method of execution.International Report (from 10.2.21 – 10.3.21)Pakistan – 10.2.21 – The Supreme Court of Pakistan have made a landmark judgement, commuting the death sentences of Imdad Ali and Kanizan Bibi, which places a ban on the death penalty being imposed on those with mental disabilities. While acknowledging this as important development, Rimmel Mohydin, Pakistan Campaigner at Amnesty International, has said ‘….However, ultimately the death penalty itself must be abolished, and we urge Pakistan to re-establish an official moratorium on all executions as a first step in that direction’. (Source Amnesty International.)USAAlabama – 12.2.21 – The execution of Willie B Smith was called off by State officials following the maintaining of an injunction issued by the 11th US Circuit of Appeals. Mr Smith, who was convicted of murder and has been on death row for almost 30 years, had requested the presence of his Pastor, but the State stipulated that ‘non-prison staff should not be in the room for security reasons’. The US Supreme Court ruled that ‘Alabama has not carried its burden of showing that the exclusion of all clergy members from the execution chamber is necessary to ensure prison security.’ (Source: Sky News and The Sun.)Ohio – 18.2.21 – Senators Steve Huffman and Niraj Antani have joined a renewed effort to repeal the State’s law of the death penalty for convicted killers, with bipartisan bills being introduced today at the State House. (Source: WHIO Radio.) The Federal Death Penalty – 18.2.21 - Questions have been raised which challenge the official accounts of the 13 executions, asking ‘whether officials misled Courts, to ensure the executions scheduled from July to mid-January were done before death penalty opponent Joe Biden became President.’ (Source: TIME.)Report on US Executions – 18.2.21 – A new report, issued by the Death Penalty Information Center, which examined every death sentence imposed since 1973, showed that of the 9,600 plus prisoners, 185 had been exonerated following wrongful convictions. This was an increase of 11 over the previously known numbers. (Source: Voice of America.)The United Nations – 23.2.21 – The U.N. Human Rights Chief, Michelle Bachelet, welcomed the pledge made by President Biden to work towards the abolition of the death penalty in the United States at Federal and at State level. (Source: Reuters.)Montana – 23.2.21 – The House Judiciary Committee has tabled a bill to abolish the death penalty. Democratic Representative, Ed Stafman, said he wished to replace the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole so as to eliminate the chance of killing an innocent person, reduce legal costs and eliminate its inconsistent application. No executions have been carried out in the State since 2006. Two prisoners are currently on death row. (Source: US News.)Oklahoma – 27.2.21 – Ten prisoners on death row could avoid execution because of the ruling last year of the Supreme Court concerning criminal jurisdiction in Native American country. The McGirt decision determined that a large area within eastern Oklahoma remained an ‘American Indian’ reservation, and that as a result the Oklahoma prosecutors lack the authority to pursue criminal charges in cases where the defendants or victims are ‘tribal citizens.’ (Source: ABC News.)Wyoming – 1.3.21 – A bill to repeal the State’s death penalty has been filed in the 2021 session of the Wyoming Legislature. Last year a bill did receive majority support of 37-23 in the State House, but fell short by 3 votes of the 2/3 majority needed for the introduction of a non-budget bill during a budget session. This year, however, as the session is a general one, it will require only a majority vote for it to be introduced. (Source: Kgab.) Kentucky – 1.3.21 - The State House of Representatives passed a House Bill banning the death penalty for anyone with a documented history of one of five mental illnesses at the time of the offence of which they had been convicted. Illnesses included in the list are Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, or Delusional Disorder. Such prisoners would be sentenced to life without parole. The Bill will affect only those convicted in trials commencing after the Bill is passed. The Bill will now go to the House. Note: Three people have been executed in Kentucky since 1976, when the death penalty was reinstated. (Source: WKU.) South Carolina – 2.3.21 – In an attempt to end the moratorium imposed by the lack of lethal injection drugs, State Senators voted to add the firing squad as a method of execution. The bill would force death row prisoners to choose between lethal injections, the electric chair or the firing squad, with one of the latter two mandated should the drugs continue to be unavailable. (Source: The Washington Post.)Indiana – 3.3.21 – The State Supreme Court has ordered the Department of Correction to pay more than $500,000 in legal fees in a dispute over whether or not it must reveal the composition of the drugs it plans to use in carrying out executions. This ruling will impact on the Indiana’s ability to conduct executions. This dispute has continued for seven years, and is likely now to return to the Court. Eight men are on the Indiana Death Row. No executions are scheduled, due primarily to the ongoing legal case. (Source: Indy Star.) Arizona – 6.3.21 - David Shinn, Director of the State’s Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Re-Entry has written to the Attorney General Mark Brnovich to advise him that the agency had been working to obtain the required drugs, and a person to administer them, and that the State was now ‘ready to commence the execution process’. The last prisoner to be executed – in 2014 – was Joseph Wood, who took two hours to die, following his injection with a ‘controversial drug cocktail.’ (Source: .)Saudi Arabia – 14.2.21 – Following her conviction for murder, Ayesha al-Janzani was sentenced to death. The Riyadh Criminal Court had found her guilty of the killing of Abiron Begum Ansar, a Bangladeshi domestic worker. Ms al-Janzani’s husband and son also were found guilty of serious ill-treatment of Ms Ansar, whose family requested the death penalty rather than financial compensation. (Source: Middle East Eye.)91440043878503.3.21 – Independent UN Human Rights experts welcomed the decision to commute the death sentences of Ali al-Nimr, (pictured) Dawood al-Marhoon and ‘Abdullah al-Zaher as ‘an important step towards compliance with the country’s international human rights obligations’ with particular reference to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. They called on the authorities to release them, ‘or at the very least to retry them in accordance with international law and standards, without delay.’ In addition they expressed concern for all prisoners remaining on death row, including Abdullah al-Huwaiti, sentenced to death for a crime allegedly committed as a minor and following accusations of torture. (Source: United Nations.)Bangladesh – 16.2.21 – A Court in Dacca – the Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal - imposed five death sentences, and one of life imprisonment, on members of the banned organisation Ansar Al Islam. They had been convicted of the murder of Avijit Roy, a Bangladeshi-American writer and blogger. The previous week, eight death sentences had been imposed on members of the Group convicted of killing Faisal Arefin Dipan, who had published Mr Roy’s writings. (Source: Anadolu Agency.)17.2.21 – The Bangladeshi High Court upheld the death sentences imposed in 2016 on ten members of the banned organisation Harkatul Jihad. The prisoners had been convicted of crimes related to the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. (Source: Anadolu Agency.)UK – 23.2.21 – The UK International Ambassador for Human Rights, Rita French, delivered a statement during the Biennial High Level Panel on the Death Penalty, confirming the opposition of the UK to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. (Source: Gov UK.)World Coalition Against the Death Penalty – 1.3.21 – Follow the link for the Newsletter of the World Coalition. This includes references to the removal of 246 prisoners from death row in Zambia and the repeal of the death penalty for people with serious mental health issues in Pakistan (see above), together with a number of new documents and a list of important dates. (Source: World Coalition Against the Death Penalty.)India – 7.3.21 – A Mr Harswroop was sentenced to death by the Court of Uttarakhand following his conviction of the murder and sexual crime against a child. (Source: Hindustan Times.) Urgent ActionsIndia – An Urgent Action was received from Reprieve on behalf of Jagtar Singh Johal, the British citizen who has been on death row for three years, He was arrested, and following torture, confessed to involvement in a terrorist plot. Supporters are asked to email their local MP with a request to ensure the Secretary of State for the Foreign Office speaks up for him. (Circulated to the Group and posted on the website 11.2.21.) Bahrain – An email was received from Reprieve to mark 10 years since the pro-democracy uprisings began in Bahrain, and 7 years since Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa were first arrested, tortured, and sentenced to death, following ‘confessions’ extracted through torture. Supporters are asked to sign the petition calling for a pardon from King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. (Circulated to the Group and posted on the Website – 22.2.21; Shared on Facebook & Twitter – 25.2.21.)Iran – An Urgent Action was received from Amnesty on behalf of Hamed Rigi and Mehran Naru’l, two Baluchi prisoners at risk of execution, whose ‘confessions’ were extracted under torture and who have suffered enforced disappearances. (Circulated to the Group 24.2.21.) CampaigningAmnesty Anti-Death Penalty Project – The February Update has been received and circulated to the Group. This includes:Saudi Arabia A moratorium on the death penalty for drug-related offences was announced on 25th January .The death sentences imposed on Ali Mohammed Al-Nimr, Dawoud al-Marhoun and Abdullah al-Zaher as teenagers were commuted to imprisonment for 10 years.The Saudi Human Rights Commission announced on 8th January that 27 executions had been carried out in 2020, which would be a substantial reduction from the 184 recorded in 2019.Virginia, USA – The State should shortly become the first Southern State to abolish the death penalty. The link includes a YouTube video of the impassioned speech made by State Senator Scott Surovell in favour of abolition. ................
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