Death Penalty News

A Nigerian today lost an appeal in the Federal Court against his conviction and death sentence for trafficking in Methamphetamine, 99 capsules of which were found in his stomach. Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who led a 3-member panel on the bench, said that considering the totality of evidence, the court was unanimous that Ikenna Emmanuel Chukwudulu’s conviction for drug trafficking 9 years ago is safe. She dismissed Chukwudulu’s appeal against his conviction and death sentence. The other 2 judges were Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Federal Court judge Datuk Mary Lim Thiam Suan. Chukwudulu, 44, was sentenced to death by the Shah Alam High Court on Nov 24, 2017, after it found him guilty of trafficking in 1,085 grammes of Methamphetamine at the Ward 6C toilet of Serdang Hospital between 9.30am on June 15, 2012, and 10.55am on June 16, 2012. Chukwudulu lost his appeal in the Court of Appeal on Jan 8, 2019. According to the facts of the ...

MINSK, 28 September (BelTA) - There is a proposal to hold a separate referendum on the death penalty in Belarus, Chairman of the Constitutional Court and Chairman of the Constitutional Commission Piotr Miklashevich told the media following the discussion of the changes to the Belarusian Constitution with the president on 28 September, BelTA has learned. “The meeting of the Constitutional Commission also highlighted the issue related to Article 24 of the Constitution that provides for the use of the death penalty. Today's position of the Constitutional Commission is that there is currently no need to submit this issue to the upcoming referendum [on a new version of the Constitution which is to be held no later than February 2022]. This matter needs a separate referendum in the future,” said Piotr Miklashevich. In his words, it is considered inexpedient to raise the question of abolishing the death penalty and changing the order of its application today.  “This is a very sensitive is...

Lawmakers have held hearings for two bipartisan bills in the Ohio House and Ohio Senate to end the executions. Ohio lawmakers are back in session with a list of bills to consider, including measures that would abolish the death penalty in the state.  Anti-execution advocates say they're getting closer and closer to accomplishing their goal. There are bipartisan bills in the Ohio House and Senate to end the death penalty, HB183 and SB103. Both have received two hearings in committees. The House bill has 25 sponsors and co-sponsors while the Senate bill has 11 total sponsors. Abraham Bonowitz with Death Penalty Action says they've seen a wave of success in ending executions in other states, including Republican-led ones. "It's really a wake-up call to recognize the failure of the death penalty as a public policy and here we are watching the legislature actually look at it with open eyes and say this isn't working it's time to get rid of it," says Bonowitz. P...

ATLANTA (AP) — A man already sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to fatally shooting four people at a massage business outside Atlanta pleaded not guilty to shooting four others on the same day at two spas inside the city. Robert Aaron Long, 22, appeared briefly Tuesday in Fulton County Superior Court, where he waived arraignment and entered a not guilty plea on charges including murder, aggravated assault and domestic terrorism. District Attorney Fani Willis is seeking the death penalty, as well as a sentencing enhancement under Georgia’s new hate crimes law. In July, Long pleaded guilty in Cherokee County to charges including four counts of murder. He received four sentences of life without parole plus an additional 35 years. Those killed in Cherokee County were: Paul Michels, 54; Xiaojie “Emily” Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; and Delaina Yaun, 33. The Atlanta victims were: Suncha Kim, 69; Soon Chung Park, 74; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; and Yong Ae Yue, 63. Tuesday was the second ...

Iran Human Rights (IHR); September 27, 2021: Mostafa Shafiei who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, has been executed in Rajai Shahr Prison. According to Javan Online, a man was executed on murder charges in Rajai Shahr Prison on September 22.  The report does not name him but states that he was charged with the murder of his friend on 9 July 2018. His identity has been established as Mostafa Shafiei by Iran Human Rights. He was transferred to the gallows from Ward 7 of Rajai Shahr Prison. Speaking about the incident in the Javan Online report, Mostafa had said: “Arshia and I were close friends. On the day of the incident, Arshia was going to fight Kamran, one of the local kids who he was in a conflict with. They hated each other and always had verbal arguments. I thought Kamran would kill Arshia in the fight, that’s why I decided to go with him and help him. But on the day, Kamran was invited to a party and didn’t turn up, so we both returned home.” “We went ...

On a hot July night in 2000, Gregg Francis Braun made one last, desperate plea. “Save me, Mother Mary, from the damnation I deserve,” he said. “I’m so sorry, people.” He said a few more words, and you could feel the fear in his voice. A few minutes later, he was gone. I watched Braun, strapped to a gurney at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary’s death chamber, die by lethal injection 11 years after he killed an Ardmore florist — one of five people he murdered in a four-state killing spree that ended on the high plains of northeastern New Mexico. How things go down during an execution differs from one case to the next. Some express fear, like Braun. Others defiantly proclaim their innocence. And still others placidly accept their fate. But there is one common thread that makes capital punishment unique from all other forms of justice: its finality. There’s no going back once an execution is carried out, much in the same way you can’t recall a bullet after the trigger is pulled. Before you c...

New Delhi: A Lahore sessions court handed down the death penalty to a Muslim woman on blasphemy charge under section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), Dawn news reported. “The convict Salma Tanveer is sentenced to death and a 50,000 PKR fine u/s 295-C PPC,” said the verdict. “It is proved beyond reasonable doubt that accused Salma Tanveer wrote and distributed the writings which are derogatory in respect of Holy Prophet Muhammad and she failed to prove that her case falls in exception provided by section 84 of PPC,” Additional District & Sessions Judge Mansoor Ahmad Qureshi ruled in his 22-page verdict. The woman, owner and principal of a private school, was accused of distributing photocopies of her writings wherein she denied the finality of Prophethood and claimed her as a Prophet, the Dawn news report said. The woman’s counsel, Muhammad Ramzan, had argued that the suspect was of unsound mind at the time of occurrence. He said the magistrate concerned had ordered mental exa...

Kabul (AFP) -- As the Taliban appeared on every corner of Kabul, Marwa and her friend -- both gay Afghans -- took the drastic decision to become husband and wife. The hurried marriage was conducted with no ceremony or family around them. "I was telling myself that the Taliban would come and kill me," the 24-year-old told AFP in an interview conducted over WhatsApp.

During the hearing, the court lent ears to 24 witnesses and studied the DNA test report of the girl. After that, based on all the evidence and statements of witnesses, the judge announced a death sentence to rapist 26-year-old Nokaram alias Dharma. The POCSO Special Court in the Sirohi district of Rajasthan announced a death sentence to the convict of rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl. During the hearing, the court lent ears to 24 witnesses and studied the DNA test report of the girl.  After that, based on all the evidence and statements of witnesses, the judge announced a death sentence to rapist 26-year-old Nokaram alias Dharma. According to the police, this heinous crime of rape and murder was reported on September 25, 2020, in Telpi Kheda village under the Anadra police station area.  At that time, the 8-year-old girl and her younger brother were passing by the river. In the meantime, Dharma, who was drunk, forcibly caught the innocent, while her younger brother got sc...

Iran Human Rights (IHR); September 25, 2021: Two Afghan men identified as Ali Morad and Heibat Rouzbi were secretly executed on drug-related charges in Taybad Prison more than two weeks ago.  At least 77 prisoners, including a woman, have been executed on drug-related charges in Iranian prisons in 2021. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, two men were executed on drug-related charges in Taybad Prison on September 8.  Their identities have been established as Ali Morad and Heibat Rouzbi, both Afghan nationals. An informed source told IHR: “They were charged with being armed while carrying the drugs. Heibat Rouzbi had lived in Iran since he was 16 years old and had been arrested for carrying drugs on two previous occasions.” Despite more than two weeks passing, neither of their executions have been reported by domestic media or officials in Iran. An unidentified Afghan man was executed on the same charges and in the same prison on September 20. According to I...

Iran Human Rights (IHR); September 27, 2021: Ahmad Forouhid who was sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for murder, has been executed in Boroujerd Central Prison. According to information obtained by Iran Human Rights, a man was executed on murder charges in Boroujerd Prison on the morning of September 22.  His identity has been established as 45-year-old Ahmad Forouhid. Informed sources have told IHR that Ahmad was from city of Zanjan but lived in Boroujerd and was convicted of murder over financial issues. At the time of writing, his execution has not been announced by domestic media or officials in Iran. According to Iran Human Rights’ Annual Report on the Death Penalty, at least 211 of the 267 people executed in 2020 were sentenced to qisas (retribution-in-kind) for "premeditated murder." As there are no legal distinctions made between murder and manslaughter, whether voluntary or involuntary in Iran, those charged under the umbrella term of “premeditated murder” wil...