Death Penalty News

Toomaj Salehi, considered by many as the voice of the unrest that has rocked Iran's Islamic leadership for almost a year, had his second court hearing on July 2, with a verdict expected to be announced within a week. The fate of Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, who was arrested during the recent nationwide protests, hangs [ poor choice of words — DPN] in the balance as a court considers a verdict and a possible death sentence after holding a closed-door trial on charges widely seen as politically motivated. Salehi, considered by many as the voice of the unrest that has rocked Iran's Islamic leadership for almost a year, had his second court hearing on July 2, with a verdict expected to be announced within a week, according to German lawmaker Ye-One Rhie, one of Salehi's political guarantors.

His song ‘Di Sebalik Pintu Besi’ is still in need of a sponsor. Malaysian death row inmate Pannir Selvam Pranthaman may have penned his last song from Singapore’s Changi prison. Pannir turned a lyricist behind bars when he was convicted for drug trafficking in May 2017. His 1st song titled ‘Arah Tuju’ was brought to life by Malaysian artist Santesh Kumar and produced by NGO Sebaran Kasih. It was released in April 2021. His 2nd and current song titled ‘Di Sebalik Pintu Besi’ aims to give hope to other death row inmates. The song provides these inmates hope that there was light at the end of the dark, painful and lonely tunnel of solitary confinement. Pannir’s sister Angelia Pranthaman, 27, has not seen him in 2 years due to travel restrictions in the past years. She’s currently handling the song’s release on his behalf and is still looking for sponsors for the production of ‘Di Sebalik Pintu Besi.’ Despite not having sponsors yet, they have set the song to hit Malaysian airwaves at the ...

The governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has vowed to sign the death warrant for the execution of a man convicted of blasphemy in the state . Mr Ganduje said he will only fail to do so if the man appeals up to the Supreme Court and wins. “I will not waste time in signing the warrant for the execution of the man who blasphemed our holy prophet of Islam,” the governor said Thursday during a meeting with clerics in Kano. The Kano Upper Shari’a Court in Kano on August 10 sentenced Yahaya Sharif, a musician, to death for “blasphemy”. The judge, Aliyu Kani, said the 22-year-old should die by hanging. Mr Sharif, a resident of Sharifai in Kano metropolis, was accused of committing the offence in a song he circulated via WhatsApp in March 2020. In response, protesters in the highly conservative state torched the singer’s family home. Many Nigerians, and rights groups, have criticised the ruling. Amnesty International urged the court to reverse its verdict. ...

The United Kingdom has joined the call for observation of human rights in Kano on Wednesday as it opposes the death sentence passed on a Kano musician , Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, by a Shari’a court. The Shari’a court had penultimate Monday imposed the death sentence on Sharif-Aminu, aged 22, for committing blasphemy against Prophet Mohammed in a song he circulated via WhatsApp. It also sentenced a 13-year-old boy, Umar Farouq, to 10 years in prison for making derogatory statements toward Allah in an argument with a friend. The British High Commission in Nigeria maintained that individuals had the right to freely express opinions and peacefully challenge authorities, noting that this was essential to a free and open society. Commenting on the sentence on Wednesday, the commission said it would continue to monitor the situation. The Senior Press and Public Affairs Officer, British High Commission, Christopher Ogunmodede, the Mission said the UK Government opposes death ...

The Muslim Lawyers’ Association (MULAN), Kano branch says there was nothing wrong with the death penalty passed on Shariff Sharifai, a musician convicted for blasphemy, urging the State Government to comply with the conviction The association stated this in a statement signed by Muhammad Garba, its chairman of the association. “The honourable Judge of Upper Shariah Court Hausawa was right in his judgment in which he convicted and sentenced the accused to death for blasphemy against the holy prophet Muhammad without prejudice to the right of appeal of the convict,” MULAN said in the statement sighted by The ICIR. The association further urged the executive arm of the Kano State Government to comply with the sentence of the court. “MULAN urges the Executive arm of Government in Kano State to ensure strict compliance to the Judgement as part of its commitment towards proper implementation of Shariah,” the muslim lawyers said. RELATED | Nigerian sharia court sentence...

An Islamic court in northern Nigeria on Monday sentenced a singer to death for blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed, judicial officials said. An Upper Islamic Sharia court in the city of Kano ordered 22-year-old Yahaya Aminu Sharif to die by hanging for derogatory expressions against the Prophet in one of his songs, spokesman for the Kano region justice ministry, Baba-Jibo Ibrahim, told AFP. Sharia courts in majority Muslim northern Nigeria have handed down death sentences for adultery, murder and homosexuality before but to date no executions have been carried out. "The court handed down the death sentence as enshrined in Islamic laws based on irrefutable evidence and the convict's admission of guilt," Ibrahim said. Sharif was accused of blaspheming the Prophet in a song he shared on social media in March, which caused riots in the city. Mobs burnt the singer's family home and took to the streets demanding his prosecution, leading to his arrest...