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Japan | Hakamada found religion, but then felt under attack by ‘the devil’

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Editor's note: This is the last in a four-part series on letters that Iwao Hakamada wrote while on death row. About a decade after cursing God, Iwao Hakamada was baptized Catholic at the Tokyo Detention House on Dec. 24, 1984. “Since I have been given the Christian name Paul, I am keenly feeling that I should be aware of the greatness of Paul.” (June 1985)

Rodrigo Gularte – Facing the firing squad in Indonesia while mentally ill

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Rodrigo Gularte at the time of his arrest
The plight of Rodrigo Gularte has not been widely reported in our media; he is one of the eleven individuals named by the Attorney General of Indonesia as next to face the firing squad. He was this week formally diagnosed with ‘schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with psychotic features’ and requires immediate treatment. To execute him now would go against international law.

Rodrigo, 43, a Brazilian national, grew up in Paraná in Southern Brazil. He regularly spent time on the family farm in Paraguay during his childhood. He was convicted of attempting to smuggle 6 kilograms of cocaine into Jakarta in July 2004. The cocaine was discovered inside eight surfboards. Tangerang District Court sentenced Rodrigo to death in February 2005.

In 2014, the Gularte family, with the assistance of the Brazilian Embassy, requested a medical report on Rodrigo’s condition. Rodrigo was assessed by Professor Haji Sowadi and a team of five doctors this week. A medical report released yesterday states that Rodrigo has a diagnosis of ‘schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with psychotic features.’ The report recommends that Rodrigo ‘immediately receive intensive psychiatric treatment with medications in a hospital.’ It has been reported that Rodrigo has been prescribed Risperdal, an anti-psychotic medication, by a UN doctor in the past but he has refused to take it as he believes it to be poison.

Rodrigo’s lawyer has confirmed that Rodrigo has been unable to communicate with his legal team. Rodrigo’s mother has reported that when she visited her son late last year, he was incoherent and had lost around 15 pounds in weight. Tony Spontana, a spokesman for the Attorney General of Indonesia, had, prior to the release of the medical report, confirmed that ‘the sentence can be met only after the [individual’s] recovery.’ As of yet, there has been no response from the Indonesian Government in respect of the medical report.

International law prohibits the execution of individuals with mental or intellectual disabilities. This applies not only in cases where the disability was present when the crime was committed but also in cases where the disability developed after sentencing.

We urgently call on the Indonesian Government to halt the executions of all the individuals named by the Attorney General as next to face the firing squad. We urge the Indonesian Government to comply with international law by acting on the medical recommendation to transfer Rodrigo Gularte to an appropriate psychiatric facility for the urgent and intensive treatment he requires.

To become a member of Reprieve Australia and support our ongoing activities click here.

Source: Reprieve, Emma James, February 12, 2015

Report an error, an omission: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com
Location: Indonesia
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