URGENT APPEAL for Russell Mezan, a Bangladeshi national sentenced to death for murdering a Kuwaiti man

On 24 October, the Supreme Appeal Court of Bahrain upheld the death sentence of Russell Mezan, a Bangladeshi man sentenced to death after being convicted of murdering a Kuwaiti man.

Russell Mezan was sentenced to death on 23 March 2010 by the High Criminal Court of Bahrain. He was convicted of the premeditated murder of a Kuwaiti man in a hotel in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, on 7 March 2009. Russell Mezan’s lawyer lodged an appeal against the sentence on the same day it was issued, as Russell Mezan said that he and the Kuwaiti man were drunk on the night of the murder and that he did not intend to kill him.

The case was heard before the Supreme Appeal Court of Bahrain on 24 October and the death sentence was upheld. Amnesty International delegates visiting Bahrain met Russell Mezan’s lawyer on 25 October, who confirmed that he will appeal to the Court of Cassation within 45 days. If the appeal fails, the death sentence will then pass to the King for final ratification within two or three months. If the death sentence is ratified by the King, Russell Mezan will face execution, probably by firing squad. In July 2010 another Bangladeshi national, Jassim Abdulmanan, was executed after his death sentence was upheld in April 2009.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:

- Calling for His Majesty Shaikh Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa not to ratify the death sentence of Russell Mezan;

- Acknowledging that the government has the right and responsibility to bring to justice those responsible for criminal offences, but expressing unconditional opposition to the death penalty as it is the ultimate cruel, inhumane and degrading punishment.

- Urging the King to commute the sentences of all those facing possible execution in Bahrain.

APPEALS TO:

The King

His Majesty Shaikh Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa

King of Bahrain

Office of His Majesty the King

P. O. Box 555

Rifa’a Palace,

KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Fax: 011 973 176 64 587

Salutation: Your Majesty

COPIES TO:

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the Kingdom of Bahrain

His Excellency Md. Ali Akbar

House 674; Road 3213; Area 332;

Al Mahooz, Manama,

KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Tel: 011 973 17741976

Fax: 011 973 177 41 927 OR 011 973 178 22 532

Salutation: His Excellency

Minister of Justice

His Excellency

Shaikh Khalid bin Ali bin Abdullah Al Khalifa

Ministry of Justice and Social Affairs

P.O. Box 13

Al-Manama

KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Salutation: His Excellency

Ambassador Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo

Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain

3502 International Dr. NW

Washington DC 20008

Fax: 1 202 362 2192

Email: ambsecretary@bahrainembassy.org

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.

Source: Amnesty International, October 26, 2010

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