Urgent Action: 4th Death Sentence Issued in Belarus Before New Year

<div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoR0o8nuLiSYZ7VuJz74mLhYjZdhYRDX0YCzmy1KlIIarmSsGEdPK4xbwu-fIHMmSPuc6Pqsz6W0qBqFnyC7-x6ENgqA7kflgKlDd_au9ZojWU3hHfIh4U2gSAp7R_zYonliizTQTgMc/s1600/Kiryl+Kazachok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=" Kiryl Kazachok" border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoR0o8nuLiSYZ7VuJz74mLhYjZdhYRDX0YCzmy1KlIIarmSsGEdPK4xbwu-fIHMmSPuc6Pqsz6W0qBqFnyC7-x6ENgqA7kflgKlDd_au9ZojWU3hHfIh4U2gSAp7R_zYonliizTQTgMc/s400/Kiryl+Kazachok.jpg" title=" Kiryl Kazachok" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiryl Kazachok</td></tr></tbody></table>Kiryl Kazachok was sentenced to death by the Gomel Regional Court, in southeast Belarus, on 28 December 2016. His was the 4th death sentence to be issued in Belarus in 2016.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kiryl Kazachok was sentenced to death by the Gomel Regional Court, in southeast Belarus, on 28 December. He was found guilty of killing his two children on 31 January 2016. He called the police following the incident, before trying to kill himself.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">His lawyer will appeal the death sentence. If the sentence is upheld by the Supreme Court, Kiryl Kazachok will appeal directly to the President for clemency. It is highly probable that the sentence will be upheld and his clemency denied, leaving him at risk of execution shortly afterwards.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No warning is given of the date or time of execution and no final meeting with relatives is granted. Death row inmates are executed with a shot to the back of the head. In accordance with Belarusian law, their bodies are not returned to their families for burial, nor is the location of the burial site disclosed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Belarus is the only country in Europe and Central Asia which continues to use the death penalty.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception. It violates the right to life, as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.</div><br /><h3>TAKE ACTION</h3><br />Write a letter, send an email, call, fax or tweet:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">-- Urging President Alyaksandr Lukashenka to commute the death sentence of Kiryl Kazachok and all those on death row in Belarus;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">-- Calling on the President to establish an immediate moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">-- Stress that whilst we are not seeking to downplay the seriousness of the crime, research shows that the death penalty does not deter crime more than other forms of imprisonment and is the ultimate denial of human rights.</div><br />Contact these 2 officials by 24 February, 2017:<br /><br /><b>President</b><br />Alyaksandr Lukashenka<br />Vul. Karla Marksa 38<br />220016 Minsk, Belarus<br />Fax: +375 17 226 06 10<br />+375 17 222 38 72<br />Email: <a href="mailto:contact@president.gov.by">contact@president.gov.by</a><br />Salutation: Dear President Lukashenka<br /><br /><b>Chargé d'Affaires</b><br />Mr. Pavel Shidlovsky<br />Embassy of Belarus<br />1619 New Hampshire Ave NW<br />Washington DC 20009<br />Fax: 1 202 986 1805<br />Phone: 1 202 986 1606 -OR- 1 202 986 9420<br />Email: <a href="mailto:usa@mfa.gov.by" target="_blank">usa@mfa.gov.by</a><br />Salutation: Dear Mr. Shidlovsky<br /><br />Source: Amnesty International USA, January 14, 2017<br /><br /><br /><h2>Belarus: Yet Another Death Sentence</h2><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">“Yet, another death sentence was handed down this week in Belarus, to Mr Kiryl Kazachok. This sentence, which follows the execution of four persons earlier this year, goes against the commitments made by Belarusian authorities to consider the introduction of a moratorium on the death penalty”, – says spokesperson statement on the European External Action Service (EEAS), reacting on the sentencing of Kazachok, convicted for murder of his own children Kira (9) and Vlad (17). After committing the crime, Kazachok went to his former spouse and confessed to her. According to the prosecution the double murder was meant as a revenge to the mother of the children, who intended to divorce Kazachok.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“The European Union opposes capital punishment in all cases. It fails to act as a deterrent to crime and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity. We call on Belarus, the only country in Europe still applying capital punishment, to join a global moratorium on the death penalty as a first step towards its abolition” – continues the text of the EEAS statement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Steps taken by Belarus to respect universal fundamental freedoms, rule of law and human rights, including on the death penalty, will remain key for the shaping of the EU’s future policy towards”.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today Belarus remains the only European country with the capital punishment. During the last 20 years around 400 convicts were executed, and only one of them received the clemency of the President. According to Belarus authorities the number of citizens favorable to abolish death penalty has increased, however they are far from being a majority.</div><br />Source: Brussels Diplomatic, December 29, 2917<br /><br /><br /><h2>E.U. reacts to new death sentence in Belarus</h2><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45nU0lY7nAgnMDfsdeemW-sy0mpnb_XJKWzQpsxELDc17CWi3xS6wwqe8J2t0SU_XMjA0i5cfQ90-kLu8JEqnxDn4_3GR9lFNilopKq1zLkbzUrrsP7LTxz1UwCIGaD1v4hIVTtmzagM/s1600/european-flags-outside-european-commission-headquarters-brussels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45nU0lY7nAgnMDfsdeemW-sy0mpnb_XJKWzQpsxELDc17CWi3xS6wwqe8J2t0SU_XMjA0i5cfQ90-kLu8JEqnxDn4_3GR9lFNilopKq1zLkbzUrrsP7LTxz1UwCIGaD1v4hIVTtmzagM/s320/european-flags-outside-european-commission-headquarters-brussels.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Statement by the Spokesperson on a death sentence in Belarus</b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Yet another death sentence was handed down this week in Belarus, to Mr Kiryl Kazachok.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This sentence, which follows the execution of four persons earlier this year, goes against the commitments made by Belarusian authorities to consider the introduction of a moratorium on the death penalty. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The European Union opposes capital punishment in all cases. It fails to act as a deterrent to crime and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity. We call on Belarus, the only country in Europe still applying capital punishment, to join a global moratorium on the death penalty as a first step towards its abolition. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Steps taken by Belarus to respect universal fundamental freedoms, rule of law and human rights, including on the death penalty, will remain key for the shaping of the EU's future policy towards Belarus.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Source: European Union, External Action, December 29, 2016</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">⚑ | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: <a href="mailto:deathpenaltynews@gmail.com">deathpenaltynews@gmail.com</a>.</div><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 204, 0); color: black; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WebDPN/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4sspwgGptzvuHVklum5TwxKppRN-lIC5TN8RLZFq_B4ZOtBrX1ssXPNKQ6XpSyQFRJRtVQN45HMkpt3VX0JtOW0TovwxZAurG-AV6gh98IAXo7Ip6QlpkZr9WrM3_m943Mwy-gGxBAY/s1600/Find+us+Facebook.jpg" /></a></div></td> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WebDPN" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULIPEaT_P6oIauxAZd17XRRxljesDLS7iIjdQXT7Xct99uHeohx4IYmiAB6S044gTjMDGSy50sL2vDzOyPZ-3vJj9zwcYQ2rgzJh9v1-QDiunKAQtLLLqJ83s38qN3HABxGIC8GsIOD0/s1600/Find+us+twitter.jpg" /></a><span id="goog_1427852018"></span><span id="goog_1427852019"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div></td> </tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><b>Opposed to Capital Punishment? 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Urgent Action: 4th Death Sentence Issued in Belarus Before New Year

Kiryl Kazachok Kiryl Kazachok was sentenced to death by the Gomel Regional Court, in southeast Belarus, on 28 December 2016. His was the 4th...

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Mother of man set to hang in Singapore urges PM to intercede

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqpnu2NZvqyEy-48aC1_EitChviCGCQq2nTYyOXaHGD4x53Sy6qmQyMF8rsPUzqKWzn4Tg3UOryfb1-jk5JC1CoottTud-_yIunF8JgDmU57_1VNguHdi42IoBs50rPdxDbx3U9M5A7Y/s1600/prabagaran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Prabagaran Srivijayan" border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqpnu2NZvqyEy-48aC1_EitChviCGCQq2nTYyOXaHGD4x53Sy6qmQyMF8rsPUzqKWzn4Tg3UOryfb1-jk5JC1CoottTud-_yIunF8JgDmU57_1VNguHdi42IoBs50rPdxDbx3U9M5A7Y/s400/prabagaran.jpg" title="Prabagaran Srivijayan" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prabagaran Srivijayan</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">A woman today pleaded with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to intercede on behalf of her son, Prabagaran Srivijayan, who was convicted of drug trafficking in Singapore and sentenced to die.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">V. Eswary, 54, said in an open letter to the PM that she was told her 29-year-old son received an "unfair trial".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She said that the car he drove when he was arrested did not belong to him, but to a friend who lent it to Prabagaran. Prabagaran only used the car as he was afraid his motorcycle would be repossessed due to delinquent payments.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Prabagaran was caught by the police because there was 'stuff' in the car," Eswary said in the letter read out by a representative at a press conference here.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I was told by the lawyers that the proceedings and trial in Prabagaran's case were unfair. All his cases in the Singapore courts were rejected," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eswary said she last met her son on Monday, when he broke down and maintained his innocence.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"He's always cries, saying he didn't do it and said he is being forced to admit," Eswary added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to the Berita Daily news portal, Prabagaran was arrested in 2012 after 22.24g of diamorphine, a banned opiate was discovered wrapped in 2 bundles in the centre console of the car he drove at the Woodlands Checkpoint.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He was convicted in 2014 and given the death sentence that is mandated by the republic's drug laws.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Concerns about possible unfairness in the trial arose when it emerged that the conviction was secured without the testimony of 2 purportedly key witnesses.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Prabagaran has exhausted all legal avenues to appeal his conviction in Singapore.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">His case was taken up by M. Ravi who professed to be an international human rights advocate and established the Singapore Anti-Death Penalty Campaign.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ravi is working with Malaysian lawyers Latheefa Koya and N. Surendran to urge Putrajaya to try and stop Prabagaran's execution.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the press conference, Ravi said that he submitted a memorandum to the Malaysian government via its consulate in Singapore on December 22, but has not received any response despite being promised one.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The memorandum was in relation Singapore's obligation to uphold the right to a fair trial.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said that the Malaysian government could file an immediate complaint with the International Court of Justice on Prabagaran's case.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I think Singapore, in my respectful opinion, will abide by the decision," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ravi later told Malay Mail Online that he was a former lawyer who had previously represented Prabagaran in the Singapore courts.</div><br />Source: themalaymailonline.com, January 11, 2017<br /><br /><br /><h2>2 drug pushers sentenced to death in Malaysia</h2><br />The High Court here sentenced 2 men to death for trafficking 745.6gm and 52.1gm of syabu respectively on Wednesday.<br /><br />High Court Judge Datuk Nurchaya Arshad delivered the sentence on Andy Majudil, 35, a local, and Mohd Noor Jumat, 38, a Brunei national after finding that the prosecution had proven its case.<br /><br />They appeared calm upon hearing the verdict.<br /><br />Andy and Noor were found guilty of committing the offence at a house in Taman Nelly, Inanam at 9.30pm on Nov 19, 2013.<br /><br />They were convicted under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act which carries the death penalty upon conviction.<br /><br />Andy and Mohd Noor had on Nov 29, last year, respectively gave unsworn statements in their defence.<br /><br />They were represented by counsel Ram Singh and Datuk Seri Rakhbir Singh respectively, while Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Farah Farriza Wan Ghazali appeared for the prosecution.<br /><br />Source: thestar.com.my, January 11, 2017<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">⚑ | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: <a href="mailto:deathpenaltynews@gmail.com">deathpenaltynews@gmail.com</a>.</div><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0px solid rgb(255, 204, 0); color: black; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WebDPN/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4sspwgGptzvuHVklum5TwxKppRN-lIC5TN8RLZFq_B4ZOtBrX1ssXPNKQ6XpSyQFRJRtVQN45HMkpt3VX0JtOW0TovwxZAurG-AV6gh98IAXo7Ip6QlpkZr9WrM3_m943Mwy-gGxBAY/s1600/Find+us+Facebook.jpg" /></a></div></td> <td><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WebDPN" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULIPEaT_P6oIauxAZd17XRRxljesDLS7iIjdQXT7Xct99uHeohx4IYmiAB6S044gTjMDGSy50sL2vDzOyPZ-3vJj9zwcYQ2rgzJh9v1-QDiunKAQtLLLqJ83s38qN3HABxGIC8GsIOD0/s1600/Find+us+twitter.jpg" /></a><span id="goog_1427852018"></span><span id="goog_1427852019"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div></td> </tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><b>Opposed to Capital Punishment? 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Mother of man set to hang in Singapore urges PM to intercede

Prabagaran Srivijayan A woman today pleaded with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to intercede on behalf of her son, Prabagaran Srivija...

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