Tag Archives: other countries

16 year old to be executed in Sudan

An Appeals Court has confirmed sentences of death on ten individuals in Sudan. At least one of them: Al-Tayeb Abdel Aziz (m),  was a 15 year old the time of the alleged crime. Following is an urgent call by Amnesty International.

URGENT ACTION
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PUBLIC
AI Index: AFR 54/003/2008
UPDATE
19 March 2008

Further Information on UA 302/07 (AFR 54/064/2007, 12 November 2007) Death Penalty

SUDAN

Al-Tayeb Abdel Aziz (m), aged 16
Ishaq Mohammed Sanousi (m), aged 71
Abdel Hay Omar (m)
Mustafa Adam (m)
Mohammed Birgid (m)
Hassan Adam Fadel (m)
Adam Ibrahim (m)
Jamaleddin Isa (m)
Abdel Magid Ali Abdel Magid (m)
Sabir Hassan (m)

On 13 March the Khartoum-North Court of Appeals confirmed the death sentences on 10 people. They were sentenced to death in November for the murder of Mohammed Taha, Editor of al-Wifaq newspaper, in September 2006.

One of those facing execution, Al-Tayeb Abdel Aziz, was 15 years old at the time of the murder. Another of the group, Ishaq Mohammed Sanousi, is thought to be 71 years old. All those sentenced to death said that they had been tortured to confess to the murder and been forced to sign confessions, which were later produced in court. All 10 people retracted their confessions in court, but the Appeal Court accepted the confessions as evidence against them.

The 10 have now appealed to the Supreme Court, where a panel of three judges will hear the appeal. A further appeal is possible to the Constitutional Court, whose final decision has to be ratified by the President.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Mohammed Taha was an outspoken newspaper editor who had also angered Islamists after writing an article discussing the ancestry of the Prophet Mohammed, after which he was arrested by the security services. He was also said to have written articles attacking Darfuris.

During their investigation into the murder of Mohammed Taha, police focussed on Darfuris and rounded up 72 people, including women and children. Nearly all those detained said that they were tortured to give information or confessions. Most were released but 19 were brought to trial. During the trial, the judge released eight because they had confessed under duress but failed to release others who also said that they were tortured.

Amnesty International is concerned that the use of torture to extract confessions is built into the Sudanese system of justice by Article 10(i) of the Law of Evidence of 1993, which states that “… evidence is not dismissed solely because it has been obtained through an improper procedure, if the court is satisfied that it is independent and admissible”.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty unconditionally in all situations as a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.  The use of the death penalty against child offenders is prohibited under international law. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), both have provisions exempting children under 18 from execution. Sudan has a responsibility to adhere to these international laws.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send fresh appeals at this stage, to

– emphasize that the authorities have a right and duty to try those who are reasonably suspected of having committed crimes but defendants must be given fair trials;
– express concern at Article 10(i) of the Law of Evidence of 1993 which states that “… evidence is not dismissed solely because it has been obtained through an improper procedure, if the court is satisfied that it is independent and admissible”, and stress that such a rule is incompatible with international standards which outlaw torture;
– state your opposition to the death penalty which is the ultimate cruel inhuman and degrading punishment and is a violation of the right to life;
– call on the authorities to abide by their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 37 of which states that “No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons below eighteen years of age”;
– call for the death sentences against the 10 to be overturned;
– call for allegations of torture to be investigated, and any security official who is found to have used torture to be brought to justice.

APPEALS TO:

Abdel Baset Saleh Sabderat
Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice
PO Box 302
Khartoum, Sudan
Fax:                 011 249 183 770883
Salutation:       Dear Minister

Ibrahim Mohamed Hamed
Minister of the Interior
Ministry of the Interior
PO Box 2793
Khartoum, Sudan
Fax:                 011 249 183 776554 (Please mark it “FAO Minister of Internal Affairs”)
Salutation:       Dear Minister

COPIES TO:

Her Excellency Dr. Faiza Hassan TAHA ARMOUSA
Ambassador for the Republic of Sudan
354 Stewart Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6K8
Fax:                 (613) 235-6880
E-mail:            sudanembassy-canada@rogers.com<>>

Dr Priscilla Joseph
Chair of the Human Rights Committee
National Assembly
Omdurman, Sudan
Fax:                 011 249 187 560 950
Salutation:       Dear Dr Joseph

Your prompt response is valuable and appreciated.

URGENT CALL to save Sri Lankan girl from beheading

In July 2007 Amnesty International and Stop Child Executions Campaign reported the news of a Sri Lankan girl facing execution by beheading for an alleged crime at the age of 17. Today Amnesty International issued an update and URGENT CALL to save Rizana Nafeek from imminent beheading

As of February 2008 Stop Child Executions Campaign has recorded 92 children facing executions worldwide: 87 in Iran, 2 in Saudi Arabia, 2 in Sudan and 1 in Yemen, all Islamic countries. In 2007, at least 7 were reported to have been executed : 6 in Iran by hanging and 1 boy was beheaded in Saudi Arabia. 
 

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

PUBLIC                                                                                   
AI Index: MDE 23/006/2008 
08 February 2008
UPDATE
Further Information on UA 175/07 (MDE 23/026/2007, 05 July 2007)/ Death sentence
SAUDI ARABIA        

Rizana Nafeek (f), aged 19, Sri Lankan national

A court in Saudi Arabia is reported to be considering Sri Lankan domestic worker Rizana Nafeek’s appeal against her death sentence. If the sentence is upheld, she could be at imminent risk of execution. This concern is heightened as the rate of executions has increased in 2008, with at least 25 people, including three women, executed since 8 January. At least 158 people, including three women, were executed in 2007.

Rizana Nafeek was sentenced to death on 16 June 2007 for a murder committed while she was 17 years old. Saudi Arabia is a state party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which prohibits the execution of offenders for crimes committed when they were under 18 years old. 

Rizana Nafeek was arrested in May 2005 on charges of murdering an infant in her care. She had no access to lawyers either during interrogation or at her trial, and it is believed that she confessed to the murder during police questioning, only to later retract her confession. 

She apparently told the authorities that she was born in February 1988, but they seem to have ignored this on the basis that her passport indicated that she was born in February 1982. According to information available to Amnesty International she was not allowed to present her birth certificate or other evidence of her age. 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION


 Saudi Arabia applies the death penalty for a wide range of offences. Court proceedings fall far short of international standards for fair trial, and take place behind closed doors. 

Defendants normally do not have formal representation by a lawyer, and in many cases are not informed of the progress of legal proceedings against them. They may be convicted solely on the basis of confessions obtained under duress, torture or deception.

Saudi Arabia assured the Committee on the Rights of the Child (which monitors states’ implementation of the CRC) in January 2006 that no children had been executed in the country since the CRC came into force in Saudi Arabia in 1997. This is a weaker commitment than is required by the CRC, which demands that capital punishment not be imposed for offences committed by persons below 18 years of age, no matter how old they are when the sentence is actually carried out.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Using your own words, please create a personal appeal and send it as quickly as possible, in Arabic, English or your own language:

– noting reports that Rizana Nafeek’s appeal against her death sentence is currently under consideration;
– expressing concern that Rizana Nafeek’s birth certificate gives her date of birth as February 1988, meaning that she was 17 at the time of her alleged crime;
– pointing out that the execution of juvenile offenders is prohibited by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Saudi Arabia ratified in 1996;
– calling on the authorities to commute her death sentence immediately.

APPEALS TO:

 His Majesty King Abdullah Bin ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Al-Saud
The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques
Office of His Majesty the King
Royal Court
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Fax: (via Ministry of the Interior) 011 966 1403 1185
Salutation: Your Majesty

His Royal Highness Prince Naif bin ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Al-Saud
Minister of the Interior
Ministry of the Interior
P.O. Box 2933
Airport Road
Riyadh 11134, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Fax: 011 966 1403 1185
Salutation: Your Royal Highness

His Royal Highness Prince Saud al-Faisal bin ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Al-Saud
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Nasseriya Street
Riyadh 11124, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Fax: 011 966 1403 0645
Salutation: Your Royal Highness

COPIES TO: 
Mr Turki bin Khaled Al-Sudairy
President
Human Rights Commission
PO Box 58889, Riyadh 11515
King Fahad Road, Building No.373
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Fax: 011 966 1461 2061

His Excellency Abdulaziz H.I. ALSOWAYEGH
Ambassador for  Saudi Arabia
201 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1K6
Fax: (613) 237-0567

THANKS FOR RESPONDING WITHOUT DELAY TO THIS REQUEST FOR APPEALS ONCE AGAIN.

Another Canadian politician signs the SCE petition

Former member of Canada’s parliament and secretary of state joined the rank of known world politicians and human rights advocates who have signed the Stop Child Executions Campaign.

From January 2002 until December 2003, David Kilgour served as Canada’s Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific). Prior to that time, he served as Secretary of State for Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America (1997-2002). Mr. Kilgour was also the member of the Canadian government (1997-2006)

Nazanin Afshin-Jam and Stop Child Executions Campaign thank Mr. Kilgour for his kind support.

13224. david Kilgour Canada Former Canadian Secretary of State (Africa and latin America)

EU delegation asked Iran for "quick adoption" of bill to stop child executions

An 11 member delegation of European Union visited Iran on December 7-10 for the second interparliamentary meeting with Iran.

The Delegation met its interlocutors in the Majlis (Parliament) of the Islamic Republic of Iran (including the Speaker, Haddad Adel), members of government (in particular, Foreign Affairs Minister Manouchehr Mottaki) and senior officials, as well as officials of the UN agencies active in Iran. It also held a dialogue with members of Iranian “civil society,” including representatives of trade unions, women’s organizations, ethnic and religious minorities, and met Members of the diplomatic and business communities. 

In its report the delegation also thanked ”in particular those who attended the meetings held “under the UN umbrella” in the UN headquarters in Tehran, and who in many cases ran personal risk in order to meet the Delegation and inform it on the situation in Iran. They asked the Delegation to transmit to the European Parliament and to the wider international Community a series of urgent requests”  such as ”immediate liberation of arrested trade unionists”….”a stay of execution for Kurdish journalist Adnan Hassanpour”…..”end to the discrimination and harassment suffered by religious and ethnic minorities” …and ….” improvements in the area of women’s rights and family law, such as important amendments to the proposed “family protection bill” and the quick adoption of the “children and juvenile courts bill”

The Chair of the Delegation and the representative of the EP subcommittee on human rights met the families of students arrested in the first days of December in a nation-wide police action against student organizations. A list of 28 names of students (whose whereabouts and conditions were still unknown) was transmitted to the Iranian Majlis, with a call for immediate action in view of their liberation. The Chair of the Iranian Delegation, Dr. Mahmoud Mohammadi, undertook to raise this issue with the competent Iranian authorities. The list was also forwarded to the EU Presidency, with a call for rapid action.

Human rights were also discussed with the Iranian parliament, “particularly in the light of possible reform of Iran’s legislation on the death penalty, the age of legal responsibility and the execution of “child offenders”.

Another Swedish MP in support of SCE petition

Nazanin Afshin-Jam and SCE Campaign thank the honorable Christer Winbäck for signing the Stop child executions petition. He is the 102nd member of the Swedish Parliament who signed the SCE petition.

12954. Christer Winbäck, MP Sweden MP

To date nearly 1/3 of the Swedish MP’s have signed the SCE petition against the child executions in Iran.

SCE petition has now surpassed 13,000 signatures and supported by human right activists and politicians.

Swedish Foreign Ministery to protest the recent child execution orders

Following SCE’s communication with International Committee Against Executions on the executions orders of Ali Mahin-Torabi, Mohammad Latif and Delara Darabi, they informed Nazanin Afshin-Jam that ICAE has contacted the Swedish Foreign Ministry who subsequently notified the Swedish embassy in Teheran.  

They will be following the 3 cases tomorrow via the Swedish EU-membership locally in Tehran and try to arrange a meeting with Iran’s foreign ministry to address their concern.

Earlier in October 2007, after prior contacts of ICAE with Swedish Parliament, few members of the Swedish Parliament sent an email to supreme leaders of Islamic regime, Ayatollah Khamenei and Iran’s Embassy in Sweden.

In their letter, they wrote: “

“….In regards to the recent report of The High Commissioner for Human Rights and the latest European Union declaration on human rights situation in Iran, we, as social democratic members of the Swedish parliament strongly condemn the brutal assault on human rights in Iran. ”.

“Ali Mahin Torabi has been convicted of a murder committed when he was 16 years old and is now at risk of imminent execution, though Iran is a state party to international treaties including the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which expressly prohibit the execution of child offenders. “

They also demanded leader of Islamic regime to “ Stop all executions and abolish execution of children.”

They additionally asked him to immediately “ release all political prisoners, members of the student movement, the women movement, the workers movement and the social movements. We demand human, social, and political rights and recognition of the right to organize unions, political and social organizations. “

"We must now be extra vigilent": Nazanin Afshin-Jam

Today in two seperate letters , Nazanin Afshin-Jam asked the Canadian Government and Louis Arbor, the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner for their help in stopping the executions of Ali Mahin-Torabi and Mohammad Latif.
 
After referring to last week’s execution of Makwan Moloudzadeh, in her urgent letters Nazanin wrote:
 
“There seems to be a “killing spree” lately in Iran and we have just been informed of two more urgent cases. Because they are no longer informing when an execution is set to take place, we must now be extra vigilent to prevent these occurances.”

Nazanin Afshin-Jam and Stop Child Execution volunteers have been working many extra hours in the past few days communicating with different human rights organizations, governments, attorneys, parents as well as informing and posting in different website , volumes of bad news coming from Iran regarding child executions.

As reported by SCE campaign 2 weeks ago, in a recent interview one of the heads of Iran’s police stated that as many as 170 Iranian children will be facing execution soon: http://scenews.blog.com/2325039/

Afghanistan summons Iranian envoy about child executions

KABUL • Afghanistan said it had summoned Iran’s representative to complain about reports of Afghan minors being sentenced to death for drug smuggling and the forced expulsion of refugees.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Kabir Farahi also raised concern at the meeting on Thursday about claims that Afghan nationals were beaten up in Tehran, the foreign ministry said in a statement. 

It is not unusual in Iran for drug smugglers of Afghan origin to be executed in border provinces. A report late October cited an Afghan human rights group saying a 17-year-old may have been hanged for smuggling 1.5 kilograms (three pounds) of heroin.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Kabir Farahi raised concern at the meeting  that  “these children are being misused by drug smugglers and their conviction is contrary to human rights, international standards and the very good relations between two countries,”  The deputy minister asked the Iranian charge d’affaires, Ghulam Raza Nafar, to take up the issue with his government.

Yemeni child sentenced to death was released

According to a November 1, 2007 report by Amnesty International, Hafez Ibrahim who had been sentenced to death for a crime allegedly committeed when he was 16 years old was released on 30 October after the family of the man he was convicted of murdering agreed to pardon him in exchange for diyeh (compensation) of 25 million Yemeni riyals (approximately USD$126,217).

Following the August 2007 report by Amnesty International and Stop Child Executions Campaign and a letter to the leaders of the Republic of Yemen by Nazanin Afshin-Jam and many other international pleas, the alleged victim’s family agreed to a stay of execution until after the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which ended in mid-October.

This was followed by negotiations with the family of the victim, who reportedly agreed to pardon Hafez Ibrahim in exchange for diyeh. This agreement was finalized, and the diyeh is believed to have been paid.

Nazanin Afshin-Jam and Stop Child Execution Campaign thank everyone and all the volunteers and supporters of the International Campaign to Stop Child Execution for spreading the word, their efforts and plea letters which lead to delay of execution and saving Ibrahim’s life.

According to our records there is still at least one more child (Walid Haikal- male – 15)  facing execution in Yemen.