Iran continued frenetic pace of capital punishment in 2011

PARIS, Feb 23 (KUNA) - Iran now holds second position in absolute numbers among world nations executing its people and ranks only behind China in carrying out an expanding policy of capital punishment. But in "proportional per capita" terms, Iran leads all countries carrying out death sentences worldwide, according to information from Human Rights groups here.

Iranian authorities have kept up an alarming cadence of executions that began after the troubled elections in that country in 2009 and is using capital punishment as a means of political repression and terror, the sources indicated.

"China executes thousands every year but, proportionately, Iran is the leader based on their comparative populations," Nicolas Braye, an official at "Together Against the Death Penalty (TADP)" said Thursday.

Moreover, Iran only announced 62 percent of cases of capital punishment in 2011, when the number of executions rose to 676 from 646 a year earlier. The government officially acknowledges putting to death 416 people last year, and 60 of these were public events, Braye indicated to KUNA in an exclusive interview.

"What distinguishes the 2011 report from those of preceding years is the dramatic increase in the number of public executions," the NGO said.

"Iran is using executions to terrorise the population," Braye affirmed.

"What it seems from the numbers is a deliberate policy to terrorise people and deter any notion of adopting an 'Arab Spring' stance by the people," he added in the interview.

The NGO said the number of public executions in 2011 had tripled compared with those in preceding years and this is being viewed as a government method to discourage any political dissent or "non-conformist" behaviour.

"Iran is also one of the only countries to use the death penalty as a means of repression against political opponents. A recent law approved by the Guardians of the Revolution Council has increased the number of crimes punishable by death. Three Internet site designers are currently on death row, " the abolitionist NGO said.

Braye also noted that Iran had executed four juveniles who were underage when they were sentenced and he dismissed as "unsatisfactory" ambiguous Iranian efforts to modify the law to protect minors from capital punishment.

"They are still considering the 15-18 age group as (adults) but have protected the below 15 year-olds," he observed.

The official and his NGO defended the reliability of their sources, saying that almost two-thirds of executions were officially announced in Iran and the remainder were confirmed through independent sources.

Source: Kuwait News Agency, Feb. 23, 2012

Kansas AG urges governor to deny clemency to 8 sentenced to death

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20 Minutes to Death: Witness to the Last Execution in France

The following document is a firsthand account of the final moments of Hamida Djandoubi, a convicted murderer executed by guillotine at Marseille’s Baumettes Prison on September 10, 1977. The record—dated September 9—was written by Monique Mabelly, a judge appointed by the state to witness the proceedings. Djandoubi’s execution would ultimately be the last carried out in France before capital punishment was abolished in 1981. At the time, President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing—who had publicly voiced his "deep aversion to the death penalty" prior to his election—rejected Djandoubi’s appeal for clemency. Choosing to let "justice take its course," the President allowed the execution to proceed, just as he had in two previous cases during his term: Christian Ranucci , executed on July 28, 1976 and Jérôme Carrein , executed on June 23, 1977. Hamida Djandoubi , a Tunisian national, was sentenced to death for killing his former lover, Elisabeth Bousquet. He was execu...

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Thomas, Alito and Gorsuch wanted an execution that a Trump judge deemed illegal

The Supreme Court these days is generally in the business of helping executions go forward. But on Thursday night, the court did something notable: It told Alabama no. Even then, the court wasn't unanimous. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented from the refusal to let the nitrogen gas execution of Jeffery Lee proceed. What prompted the rare rejection? In line with the typical shadow docket practice, the court didn't explain itself. Nor did the dissenters, who merely noted their disagreement. But a deeper look at the case helps us understand why a majority of the court was unwilling to help the state this time.

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