An Indonesian court on Monday sentenced a teacher to death for raping 13 girls at an Islamic school, upholding the prosecutor’s plea for death penalty.

The case of Herry Wirawan has stunned Indonesia and has drawn attention to the need to protect children from sexual violence in religious boarding schools.

Wirawan was initially sentenced to life in prison. However, the prosecutor who had requested the death penalty filed an appeal after Wirawan was sentenced to life in prison by court in Bandung in February.

The judge in a statement on Monday said that&nbsp;the defendant will now be&nbsp;punished with the death penalty. Herry’s lawyer, Ira Mambo, declined to comment on whether an appeal would be filed, citing the need to see the full court judgement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-greets-ramadan-with-mass-prayer-as-covid-curbs-ease-467961">Indonesia greets Ramadan with mass prayer as Covid curbs ease</a>

During the&nbsp;February trial, it was revealed that Herry sexually abused 13 girls between the years 2016 and 2021, his victims were between the ages of 12 to 16 and eight of them fell pregnant following the rape.

The uncle of one of Herry's victims, Hidmat Dijaya said that "we initially wanted punishments of life in prison and chemical castration so that he would feel the pain from his crime", but that they feel "the death sentence represents justice."

The rape case in Bandung has also brought attention to the issue of sexual abuse in Indonesian schools, with 14 of the 18 incidents reported to the Child Protection Commission last year occurring in Islamic boarding schools.

Officials in Indonesia, including the country’s child protection minister, have backed calls for the death sentence, despite the fact that the country’s human rights commission thinks the declared death penalty is not appropriate.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/a-new-hope-rare-sumatran-rhino-born-in-captivity-in-indonesia-467436">A new hope?&nbsp;Rare Sumatran rhino born in captivity in Indonesia</a>

Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim majority country, includes tens of thousands of Islamic boarding schools and some other religious schools, which are often the only way for children from poor families to get&nbsp;educated.

(With inputs from agencies)

An Indonesian court on Monday sentenced a teacher to death for raping 13 girls at an Islamic school, upholding the prosecutor’s plea for death penalty. The case of Herry Wirawan has stunned Indonesia and has drawn attention to the need to protect children from sexual violence in religious boarding schools.

An Indonesian court on Monday sentenced a teacher to death for raping 13 girls at an Islamic school, upholding the prosecutor’s plea for death penalty. The case of Herry Wirawan has stunned Indonesia and has drawn attention to the need to protect children from sexual violence in religious boarding schools. Wirawan was initially sentenced to life in prison. However, the prosecutor who had requested the death penalty filed an appeal after Wirawan was sentenced to life in prison by court in Bandung in February. The judge in a statement on Monday said that the defendant will now be punished with the death penalty. Herry’s lawyer, Ira Mambo, declined to comment on whether an appeal would be filed, citing the need to see the full court judgement. Also read | Indonesia greets Ramadan with mass prayer as Covid curbs ease During the February trial, it was revealed that Herry sexually abused 13 girls between the years 2016 and 2021, his victims were between the ages of 12 to 16 and eight of them fell pregnant following the rape. The uncle of one of Herry's victims, Hidmat Dijaya said that "we initially wanted punishments of life in prison and chemical castration so that he would feel the pain from his crime", but that they feel "the death sentence represents justice." The rape case in Bandung has also brought attention to the issue of sexual abuse in Indonesian schools, with 14 of the 18 incidents reported to the Child Protection Commission last year occurring in Islamic boarding schools. Officials in Indonesia, including the country’s child protection minister, have backed calls for the death sentence, despite the fact that the country’s human rights commission thinks the declared death penalty is not appropriate. Also read | A new hope? Rare Sumatran rhino born in captivity in Indonesia Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim majority country, includes tens of thousands of Islamic boarding schools and some other religious schools, which are often the only way for children from poor families to get educated. (With inputs from agencies)

Indonesian teacher condemned to death for raping 13 students

Prosecutors have opened talks with lawyers for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and his four co-defendants to negotiate a potential plea agreement that would drop the possibility of execution, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

Guilty pleas in exchange for life sentences could bring to an end the long-running case at the war court, which was set up by the George W. Bush administration and has been mired in pretrial proceedings focusing on the CIA’s torture of the defendants. Nearly a decade after the men were arraigned, the military judge has set no trial start date.

No deal is expected soon. But guilty pleas resulting in life sentences could force the Biden administration to modify its ambition of ending detention operations at Guantánamo Bay and instead rebrand it as a military prison for a few men.

In an earlier, failed attempt at such talks during the Trump administration, the accused plotters demanded that they serve their sentences at Guantánamo, where they are able to pray and eat in groups. They specifically did not want to be sent to the supermax prison in Florence, Colorado, where federal inmates are held in solitary confinement up to 23 hours a day.

The five men are accused of directing and training or providing travel arrangements and money to the 19 hijackers who crashed four commercial aircraft into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania, killing nearly 3,000 people.

A plea deal would undoubtedly disappoint, if not enrage, death penalty advocates among the victims’ family members. But other family members, including those troubled by the role of U.S. torture in the case and the delays, might see it as a fitting conclusion.

The path to a trial for the accused plotters of the worst terrorist attack in the United States has been impeded by legal and logistic challenges as well as a nearly two-year closure of the court during the coronavirus pandemic.

The discussions began last week amid the latest setback. The judge, defense and prosecution teams had travelled to Guantánamo Bay for three weeks of hearings meant to address disputes over evidence, particularly showing the role of the FBI in the CIA prison network where Mohammed and his co-defendants were tortured after they were captured in Pakistan in 2002 and 2003.

But before they could start, Cheryl Bormann, the lead lawyer for one of the defendants, Walid bin Attash, asked to step down from the case. She cited an unspecified in-house investigation of her “performance and conduct” by the chief defense counsel, Brig. Gen. Jackie L. Thompson Jr. of the Army.

No details were given. But the issue forced a delay in hearings that could stretch for months and provided an opening, according to a participant in the talks between the prosecution and the defense.

A lead case prosecutor, Clayton G. Trivett Jr., wrote on Wednesday to the defense teams proposing that they discuss “whether pretrial agreements are possible for all five cases.”

“While I cannot guarantee that we will come to terms over these next two weeks,” Trivett said in an email, “putting a concerted effort focused solely on possible agreements while we are all onboard Guantánamo, where your clients and teams are present, may be our best chance of at least determining if deals can be reached.”

Within days, the five defendants and their lawyers met in the courtroom to compile an initial list of requirements for the guilty plea, starting with removing the death penalty from the case. Lawyers for the five men submitted a joint list on Monday, participants said.

Although the prosecutors have begun the negotiations, a senior Pentagon official known as the convening authority must approve any deal. That role is currently held by Col. Jeffrey D. Wood of the Arkansas National Guard, who is also a lawyer in Little Rock, Arkansas, and was appointed to the civilian job by the Trump administration. Participants said the talks were expected to continue through the month to try to reach some understandings to present to Wood.

The interim chief prosecutor, Col. George C. Kraehe of the Army, declined to comment, as did the chief defense counsel, Thompson.

A core issue is how many of the defendants besides Mohammed would serve life sentences without the possibility of parole and whether some of the accused accomplices with lesser roles in the attacks would serve shorter sentences. Lawyers for two defendants — a Saudi prisoner, Mustafa al-Hawsawi, and a Pakistani national, Ammar al-Baluchi, who is Mohammed’s nephew — have described them as ignorant of the Sept. 11 plot when they helped some of the hijackers with money transfers and travel arrangements from the United Arab Emirates.

Psychologists conducting interrogations for the CIA waterboarded Mohammed 183 times; defense lawyers have pursued an overarching theory that because of its actions, the U.S. government lost the moral and legal authority to execute the defendants. Agents also kept the five defendants nude, beat them, strung them up by their arms in chains and subjected them to rectal abuse and sleep deprivation during the three and four years they were held in the so-called CIA black sites before their transfer to Guantánamo in 2006.

As part of any plea agreement, the defendants would have to work with prosecutors, through their lawyers, on individual lengthy narratives known as a stipulation of fact — essentially a prosecution-approved admission of their crimes.

Once signed, the men could be brought to court for questioning by the trial judge, Col. Matthew N. McCall of the Air Force, on whether they cooperated willingly with the process. Under war court law, military juries — not judges — sentence defendants who plead guilty, generally from a range set in the plea agreement. The Pentagon would need to assemble a jury of U.S. officers to hear the statements and other presentations by both sides and then issue sentences, even if they are separately capped in secret pretrial agreements. That portion could span months.

People familiar with the talks said a military jury’s recent reaction to descriptions of CIA torture of another prisoner in a lesser-known case might have contributed to the willingness of prosecutors to negotiate.

In October, the jury condemned as “a stain on the moral fiber of America” the agency’s cruel treatment of Majid Khan, a confessed courier for al-Qaida, and urged the overseer of military commissions to grant clemency.

Prosecutors have opened talks with lawyers for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and his four co-defendants to negotiate a potential plea agreement that would drop the possibility of execution, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

Prosecutors have opened talks with lawyers for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and his four co-defendants to negotiate a potential plea agreement that would drop the possibility of execution, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. Guilty pleas in exchange for life sentences could bring to an end the long-running case at the war court, which was set up by the George W. Bush administration and has been mired in pretrial proceedings focusing on the CIA’s torture of the defendants. Nearly a decade after the men were arraigned, the military judge has set no trial start date. No deal is expected soon. But guilty pleas resulting in life sentences could force the Biden administration to modify its ambition of ending detention operations at Guantánamo Bay and instead rebrand it as a military prison for a few men. In an earlier, failed attempt at such talks during the Trump administration, the accused plotters demanded that they serve their sentences at Guantánamo, where they are able to pray and eat in groups. They specifically did not want to be sent to the supermax prison in Florence, Colorado, where federal inmates are held in solitary confinement up to 23 hours a day. The five men are accused of directing and training or providing travel arrangements and money to the 19 hijackers who crashed four commercial aircraft into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania, killing nearly 3,000 people. A plea deal would undoubtedly disappoint, if not enrage, death penalty advocates among the victims’ family members. But other family members, including those troubled by the role of U.S. torture in the case and the delays, might see it as a fitting conclusion. The path to a trial for the accused plotters of the worst terrorist attack in the United States has been impeded by legal and logistic challenges as well as a nearly two-year closure of the court during the coronavirus pandemic. The discussions began last week amid the latest setback. The judge, defense and prosecution teams had travelled to Guantánamo Bay for three weeks of hearings meant to address disputes over evidence, particularly showing the role of the FBI in the CIA prison network where Mohammed and his co-defendants were tortured after they were captured in Pakistan in 2002 and 2003. But before they could start, Cheryl Bormann, the lead lawyer for one of the defendants, Walid bin Attash, asked to step down from the case. She cited an unspecified in-house investigation of her “performance and conduct” by the chief defense counsel, Brig. Gen. Jackie L. Thompson Jr. of the Army. No details were given. But the issue forced a delay in hearings that could stretch for months and provided an opening, according to a participant in the talks between the prosecution and the defense. A lead case prosecutor, Clayton G. Trivett Jr., wrote on Wednesday to the defense teams proposing that they discuss “whether pretrial agreements are possible for all five cases.” “While I cannot guarantee that we will come to terms over these next two weeks,” Trivett said in an email, “putting a concerted effort focused solely on possible agreements while we are all onboard Guantánamo, where your clients and teams are present, may be our best chance of at least determining if deals can be reached.” Within days, the five defendants and their lawyers met in the courtroom to compile an initial list of requirements for the guilty plea, starting with removing the death penalty from the case. Lawyers for the five men submitted a joint list on Monday, participants said. Although the prosecutors have begun the negotiations, a senior Pentagon official known as the convening authority must approve any deal. That role is currently held by Col. Jeffrey D. Wood of the Arkansas National Guard, who is also a lawyer in Little Rock, Arkansas, and was appointed to the civilian job by the Trump administration. Participants said the talks were expected to continue through the month to try to reach some understandings to present to Wood. The interim chief prosecutor, Col. George C. Kraehe of the Army, declined to comment, as did the chief defense counsel, Thompson. A core issue is how many of the defendants besides Mohammed would serve life sentences without the possibility of parole and whether some of the accused accomplices with lesser roles in the attacks would serve shorter sentences. Lawyers for two defendants — a Saudi prisoner, Mustafa al-Hawsawi, and a Pakistani national, Ammar al-Baluchi, who is Mohammed’s nephew — have described them as ignorant of the Sept. 11 plot when they helped some of the hijackers with money transfers and travel arrangements from the United Arab Emirates. Psychologists conducting interrogations for the CIA waterboarded Mohammed 183 times; defense lawyers have pursued an overarching theory that because of its actions, the U.S. government lost the moral and legal authority to execute the defendants. Agents also kept the five defendants nude, beat them, strung them up by their arms in chains and subjected them to rectal abuse and sleep deprivation during the three and four years they were held in the so-called CIA black sites before their transfer to Guantánamo in 2006. As part of any plea agreement, the defendants would have to work with prosecutors, through their lawyers, on individual lengthy narratives known as a stipulation of fact — essentially a prosecution-approved admission of their crimes. Once signed, the men could be brought to court for questioning by the trial judge, Col. Matthew N. McCall of the Air Force, on whether they cooperated willingly with the process. Under war court law, military juries — not judges — sentence defendants who plead guilty, generally from a range set in the plea agreement. The Pentagon would need to assemble a jury of U.S. officers to hear the statements and other presentations by both sides and then issue sentences, even if they are separately capped in secret pretrial agreements. That portion could span months. People familiar with the talks said a military jury’s recent reaction to descriptions of CIA torture of another prisoner in a lesser-known case might have contributed to the willingness of prosecutors to negotiate. In October, the jury condemned as “a stain on the moral fiber of America” the agency’s cruel treatment of Majid Khan, a confessed courier for al-Qaida, and urged the overseer of military commissions to grant clemency.

Sept. 11 prosecutors are in plea talks that could avert a death penalty trial

A man convicted of double murder in the US has been put to death using lethal injection in Oklahoma. With this, he has become the first convict to be executed in the United States this year.

The US' first execution of 2022 is of a man who robbed a hotel for his girlfriend's bail money

Oklahoma on Thursday condemned a man to death by lethal injection after he was convicted of committing a double murder. The execution marked the first death penalty execution in the United States this year.&nbsp;

The Oklahoma attorney general John O'Connor's office said in a statement that Donald Grant was executed at 10:16 (1616 GMT) without incident.

An injection containing three lethal substances was given to Grant at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/renowned-marine-hunter-orcas-now-target-planets-largest-animal-blue-whale-find-out-how-448374" hreflang="en">Renowned marine hunter orcas now target planet’s largest animal blue whale. Find out how</a>

The deadly cocktail is believed to cause excruciating pain for the condemned, a violation of the US Constitution. An inmate suffered a convulsion and vomited after receiving the first injection toward the end of October last year.

The 46-year-old's last words were barely intelligible.

Grant had robbed a hotel in 2001 when he was 25 to steal bail money for his girlfriend who was imprisoned.

He opened fire on two hotel employees during the robbery. One of Grant's victims died instantly, and the other’s death was caused by a knife attack by Grant, court documents state.

The man's death sentence was announced in 2005.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-iranian-state-television-hacked-death-to-khamenei-chant-flashed-for-several-seconds-448347" hreflang="en">Watch | Iranian state television hacked, ‘death to Khamenei’ chant flashed for several seconds</a>

Over the course of his imprisonment, he appealed repeatedly, citing, in particular, intellectual deficiencies to have his sentence overturned. In an online petition, his defenders alleged that he suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome and brain damage due to violent abuse from his alcoholic father during his childhood.

On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court rejected his last appeal regarding the manner in which he was to be executed by the southern US state of Oklahoma.

The number of executions carried out annually in the United States has been declining in recent years.

Watch:&nbsp;Japan defends capital punishment, hangs three death-row inmates

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/japan-defends-capital-punishment-hangs-three-death-row-inmates-438925/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Currently, 23 states have abolished capital punishment, and three others -- California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania -- have imposed a moratorium on its use.

Following a series of botched executions in Oklahoma, in 2015 the state imposed a moratorium on capital punishment, but it was lifted in 2021. This execution&nbsp;was the third in the state since it resumed lethal injections in October 2021.

(With inputs from agencies)

Oklahoma on Thursday condemned a man to death by lethal injection after he was convicted of committing a double murder. The execution marked the first death penalty execution in the United States this year.

Oklahoma on Thursday condemned a man to death by lethal injection after he was convicted of committing a double murder. The execution marked the first death penalty execution in the United States this year. The Oklahoma attorney general John O'Connor's office said in a statement that Donald Grant was executed at 10:16 (1616 GMT) without incident. An injection containing three lethal substances was given to Grant at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. Also read | Renowned marine hunter orcas now target planet’s largest animal blue whale. Find out how The deadly cocktail is believed to cause excruciating pain for the condemned, a violation of the US Constitution. An inmate suffered a convulsion and vomited after receiving the first injection toward the end of October last year. The 46-year-old's last words were barely intelligible. Grant had robbed a hotel in 2001 when he was 25 to steal bail money for his girlfriend who was imprisoned. He opened fire on two hotel employees during the robbery. One of Grant's victims died instantly, and the other’s death was caused by a knife attack by Grant, court documents state. The man's death sentence was announced in 2005. Also read | Watch | Iranian state television hacked, ‘death to Khamenei’ chant flashed for several seconds Over the course of his imprisonment, he appealed repeatedly, citing, in particular, intellectual deficiencies to have his sentence overturned. In an online petition, his defenders alleged that he suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome and brain damage due to violent abuse from his alcoholic father during his childhood. On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court rejected his last appeal regarding the manner in which he was to be executed by the southern US state of Oklahoma. The number of executions carried out annually in the United States has been declining in recent years. Watch: Japan defends capital punishment, hangs three death-row inmates Currently, 23 states have abolished capital punishment, and three others -- California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania -- have imposed a moratorium on its use. Following a series of botched executions in Oklahoma, in 2015 the state imposed a moratorium on capital punishment, but it was lifted in 2021. This execution was the third in the state since it resumed lethal injections in October 2021. (With inputs from agencies)

The first death penalty execution in the United States this year: a 2001 murderer

Japanese authorities executed three prisoners on Tuesday, the first executions in two years. The government justified the executions by saying "atrocious crimes" require the continuation of capital punishment.

Despite international criticism, including from human rights groups, Japan remains one of the few developed countries that still practice capital punishment.

There are currently more than 100 death row inmates in Japan, most of them accused of mass murder. In most cases, executions by hanging are carried out many years after sentencing.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sierra-leone-lawmakers-vote-to-abolish-death-penalty-400273">Sierra Leone lawmakers vote to abolish death penalty</a>

Yasutaka Fujishiro, 65, was one of the three executed on Tuesday. He had killed his 80-year-old aunt, two cousins and four others in 2004 with a hammer and knife.

Two others were Tomoaki Takanezawa, 54, who killed two clerks at an arcade game parlour in 2003, and his accomplice Mitsunori Onogawa, 44.

It was the first execution under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who took office in October.

"Whether to keep the death sentence or not is an important issue that concerns the foundation of Japan's criminal justice system," deputy chief cabinet secretary Seiji Kihara said.

"Given that atrocious crimes keep occurring one after another, it is necessary to execute those whose guilt is extremely grave so it is inappropriate to abolish capital punishment."

Tadashi Ara, president of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, said members "strongly protest" Tuesday's executions.

He called on the government to "abolish capital punishment and stop all executions until it is abolished".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/death-via-zoom-several-in-indonesia-given-capital-punishment-via-virtual-hearings-379546">Death via Zoom: Several in Indonesia given capital punishment via virtual hearings</a>

According to Amnesty International, at least 483 people were executed worldwide last year in 18 countries.

This represents a drop of about a quarter from the previous year, which fits with a downward trend since 2015.

However, this figure does not include the "thousands" of executions believed to have taken place in China, North Korea, and Vietnam, which keep such data secret.

In the G7 group of developed countries, only Japan and the United States still use the death penalty.

In 2019, Japan executed three death row inmates and 15 in 2018 -- including 13 members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult responsible for the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway.

It is not uncommon for authorities to notify inmates just hours before execution.

The government is being sued by two prisoners for the system, which they claim is illegal and causes psychological distress.

Additionally, the pair is seeking $22 million for the distress caused by not knowing when their execution will take place.

Watch |&nbsp;Japan defends capital punishment to combat 'Atrocious Crimes' as it executes 3 death row inmates

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/japan-defends-capital-punishment-to-combat-atrocious-crimes-as-it-executes-3-death-row-inmates-438938/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In December 2020, Japan's top court overturned a ruling prohibiting the retrial of a man regarded as the world's longest-serving death row prisoner, giving the 85-year-old new hope.

After being convicted in 1968 of robbing and killing his boss, the man's wife, and their two teenage children, Iwao Hakamada has been living under the threat of death for more than half a century.

He and his supporters contend that he confessed only after an allegedly brutal police interrogation, which included beatings, and that evidence was planted in the case.

(With inputs from agencies)

Japanese authorities executed three prisoners on Tuesday, the first executions in two years. The government justified the executions by saying "atrocious crimes" require the continuation of capital punishment.

Japanese authorities executed three prisoners on Tuesday, the first executions in two years. The government justified the executions by saying "atrocious crimes" require the continuation of capital punishment. Despite international criticism, including from human rights groups, Japan remains one of the few developed countries that still practice capital punishment. There are currently more than 100 death row inmates in Japan, most of them accused of mass murder. In most cases, executions by hanging are carried out many years after sentencing. Also read | Sierra Leone lawmakers vote to abolish death penalty Yasutaka Fujishiro, 65, was one of the three executed on Tuesday. He had killed his 80-year-old aunt, two cousins and four others in 2004 with a hammer and knife. Two others were Tomoaki Takanezawa, 54, who killed two clerks at an arcade game parlour in 2003, and his accomplice Mitsunori Onogawa, 44. It was the first execution under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who took office in October. "Whether to keep the death sentence or not is an important issue that concerns the foundation of Japan's criminal justice system," deputy chief cabinet secretary Seiji Kihara said. "Given that atrocious crimes keep occurring one after another, it is necessary to execute those whose guilt is extremely grave so it is inappropriate to abolish capital punishment." Tadashi Ara, president of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, said members "strongly protest" Tuesday's executions. He called on the government to "abolish capital punishment and stop all executions until it is abolished". Also read | Death via Zoom: Several in Indonesia given capital punishment via virtual hearings According to Amnesty International, at least 483 people were executed worldwide last year in 18 countries. This represents a drop of about a quarter from the previous year, which fits with a downward trend since 2015. However, this figure does not include the "thousands" of executions believed to have taken place in China, North Korea, and Vietnam, which keep such data secret. In the G7 group of developed countries, only Japan and the United States still use the death penalty. In 2019, Japan executed three death row inmates and 15 in 2018 -- including 13 members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult responsible for the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway. It is not uncommon for authorities to notify inmates just hours before execution. The government is being sued by two prisoners for the system, which they claim is illegal and causes psychological distress. Additionally, the pair is seeking $22 million for the distress caused by not knowing when their execution will take place. Watch | Japan defends capital punishment to combat 'Atrocious Crimes' as it executes 3 death row inmates In December 2020, Japan's top court overturned a ruling prohibiting the retrial of a man regarded as the world's longest-serving death row prisoner, giving the 85-year-old new hope. After being convicted in 1968 of robbing and killing his boss, the man's wife, and their two teenage children, Iwao Hakamada has been living under the threat of death for more than half a century. He and his supporters contend that he confessed only after an allegedly brutal police interrogation, which included beatings, and that evidence was planted in the case. (With inputs from agencies)

Japan hangs 3, defends 'capital punishment', calls it necessary for 'atrocious crimes'

Japan hanged three death-row inmates on Tuesday, its first executions in two years, amid growing criticism by human rights groups of the country’s use of the death penalty. Executions are carried out in high secrecy in Japan, where prisoners are not informed of their fate until the morning they are hanged.

Japan defends capital punishment, hangs three death-row inmates

Japan has defended their use of capital punishment to combat 'Atrocious Crimes' as it executes three death row inmates convicted of mass murder.

Japan defends capital punishment to combat 'Atrocious Crimes' as it executes 3 death row inmates

Following outrage among public and human rights activists, Singapore high court has temporarily stayed the execution of an intellectually disabled Malaysian man who was accused of smuggling heroin into the country.

Nagaenthran Dharmalingam was arrested in April 2009 when he was 21, for attempting to smuggle 43 grams of heroin into Singapore.

In 2010, he was sentenced to death and was scheduled to be hanged on November 10.

The court’s order was widely criticised by the human rights activists who claimed that Dharmalingam has limited mental capacity.

On Monday, the high court ordered a stay of execution following a last-minute constitutional challenge&nbsp;by his lawyer M. Ravi.

The court dismissed the lawyer's application to declare the execution unconstitutional, but granted a stay of execution until an appeal on its decision can be heard.

Ravi said his client was a victim of drug trafficking and should be released.

"He has been gamed. He is a victim of the [drug-trafficking] operation. He needs treatment and help,” BBC quoted Ravi as saying.

According to campaigners, it was disclosed during the trial that Dharmalingam has an IQ of 69 and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. His supporters say there is evidence that Dharmalingam was forced to courier drugs as a victim of human trafficking.

But the Singapore authorities have repeatedly stressed that Dharmalingam is of sound mind and was fully aware of his actions.

The Malaysian Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, has even written to Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, seeking leniency in his case, according to Malaysian media.&nbsp;

Singapore has one of the world’s toughest drug laws. Anyone found guilty of importing over 15 grams of drugs is sentenced to death.

(With inputs from agencies)

Following outrage among public and human rights activists, Singapore high court has temporarily stayed the execution of an intellectually disabled Malaysian man who was accused of smuggling heroin into the country.

Following outrage among public and human rights activists, Singapore high court has temporarily stayed the execution of an intellectually disabled Malaysian man who was accused of smuggling heroin into the country. Nagaenthran Dharmalingam was arrested in April 2009 when he was 21, for attempting to smuggle 43 grams of heroin into Singapore. In 2010, he was sentenced to death and was scheduled to be hanged on November 10. The court’s order was widely criticised by the human rights activists who claimed that Dharmalingam has limited mental capacity. On Monday, the high court ordered a stay of execution following a last-minute constitutional challenge by his lawyer M. Ravi. The court dismissed the lawyer's application to declare the execution unconstitutional, but granted a stay of execution until an appeal on its decision can be heard. Ravi said his client was a victim of drug trafficking and should be released. "He has been gamed. He is a victim of the [drug-trafficking] operation. He needs treatment and help,” BBC quoted Ravi as saying. According to campaigners, it was disclosed during the trial that Dharmalingam has an IQ of 69 and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. His supporters say there is evidence that Dharmalingam was forced to courier drugs as a victim of human trafficking. But the Singapore authorities have repeatedly stressed that Dharmalingam is of sound mind and was fully aware of his actions. The Malaysian Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, has even written to Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, seeking leniency in his case, according to Malaysian media. Singapore has one of the world’s toughest drug laws. Anyone found guilty of importing over 15 grams of drugs is sentenced to death. (With inputs from agencies)

Singapore court stays execution of man with learning disabilities accused of drug smuggling

Lawmakers in Sierra Leone, on Friday, voted unanimously to abolish colonial-era death penalty laws. This country is the 23rd African country to ban the practice. The country's constitution had allowed the use of death penalty for aggravated robbery, murder, and treason. Sierra Leone's move comes in the backdrop of a long battle to discard brutal colonial-era laws.

West Africa: Lawmakers vote to abolish death penalty in Sierra Leone | Latest World English News

Lawmakers in Sierra Leone voted unanimously Friday to abolish the death penalty, a momentous step that made the West African country the 23rd on the continent to prohibit capital punishment.

The decision was one more step in a long-sought goal of civil society organizations and legal practitioners who see the death penalty as a vestige of Africa’s oppressive colonial history.

“This is a horrible punishment, and we need to get rid of it,” said Oluwatosin Popoola, a legal adviser at the rights group Amnesty International, a leading critic of capital punishment.

A vast majority of the 193 member states of the United Nations have either abolished the death penalty or do not practice it.

“It’s a dream come true in terms of criminal justice, to actually remove such a heinous penalty,” said Simitie Lavaly, a member of Sierra Leone’s Human Rights Commission and a lawyer who has represented people on death row.

The vote in Sierra Leone came against the backdrop of a steady march in Africa to discard brutal laws imposed by past colonial masters. In April, Malawi ruled the death penalty unconstitutional. In May 2020, Chad did the same.

Nearly half of Africa’s 54 independent countries have abolished the punishment, more than double the number from less than two decades ago.

While death sentences and executions have declined globally in recent years, they do not necessarily reflect the growing number of countries that have banned capital punishment. At least some of the declines are attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, which slowed or delayed judicial proceedings in many countries. And in some, like the United States, federal executions were ramped up in 2020.

As in previous years, China led the 2020 list of countries that execute the most people, killing thousands, according to Amnesty International, which compiles capital punishment statistics. The exact figures for China are not known, as its data remains a state secret.

Next in 2020 came Iran, which executed at least 246 people, and then Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and in sixth place the United States, with 17 executions. Most of the American executions were of federal prisoners in the last six months of President Donald Trump’s term, a turnaround after years of an informal moratorium.

The legislators in Sierra Leone on Friday replaced the death sentence with a maximum life sentence for certain crimes, including murder and treason. That means judges will have the power to consider mitigating factors, such as whether the defendant has a mental illness. They would have had no such flexibility if the lawmakers had voted instead to replace the death penalty with a mandatory life sentence.

The last time the death penalty was carried out in Sierra Leone was 1998, when at the apex of a devastating civil war, 24 soldiers were executed by firing squad for having participated in a coup the year before.

Still, convicts have languished for years on death row, where their rights are minimal and where they know that a new government could carry out the punishment without warning.

In 2016, the minister of internal affairs at the time publicly ordered the gallows cleaned at the central prison in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, after two men were sentenced to hang. The men had been found guilty of murdering a popular DJ. While public opinion favored the hangings, they were never carried out.

Dozens of death sentences in Sierra Leone have been handed down every year. As of the end of last year, at least 94 people remained on death row.

One Sierra Leonean woman was sentenced to death in 2010 for the murder of her abusive boyfriend. He had been attacking her with a pipe, and she picked up a knife in self-defense. She was just 17 and should not have been subject to adult legal proceedings.

Another was convicted of having murdered her baby stepdaughter by feeding her battery fluid — when really she had given the sick child water. She was on death row for six years.

Both women were eventually released, with the help of AdvocAid, a nonprofit group that helps girls and women entangled in Sierra Leone’s legal system. But for years, the prospect of execution hung over them.

Sabrina Mahtani, the co-founder and former executive director of AdvocAid, said Sierra Leone’s decision to do away with capital punishment was remarkable especially because it is still recovering from the 1991-2002 civil war that was characterized by intolerance, atrocities and extreme violence. She said Sierra Leone had provided a model that more powerful countries like the United States should emulate.

“Here’s a small country in West Africa that had a brutal civil war 20 years ago, and they’ve managed to abolish the death penalty,” Mahtani said. “They would actually be an example for you, U.S., rather than it always being the other way around.”

President Julius Maada Bio’s government has worked on several reforms to the criminal justice system, including the repeal of a law frequently used to repress the media. In May, at a review of Sierra Leone’s human rights record at the United Nations, the government announced it would abolish capital punishment as well.

“It’s a really big deal in all aspects, in Sierra Leone and internationally,” Popoola said.

Sierra Leone is the first of the English-speaking West African countries to abolish the punishment.

A decade ago, a commission in Ghana recommended abolition, but in recent years efforts have stalled.

In Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, at least 2,700 people are on death row — the highest number by far on the African continent.

Gambia had been on track to abolish the death penalty last year, when a new constitution was drafted. But it was rejected by Parliament. Still, Gambia’s president has made some significant moves away from capital punishment, Popoola said.

These are all countries that, like Sierra Leone, obtained independence from the Britain in the late 1950s and 1960s — around the same time as that colonial power was carrying out its own last executions.

“The death penalty is a colonial imposition, and these laws were inherited from the U.K.,” Mahtani said.

Lawmakers in Sierra Leone voted unanimously Friday to abolish the death penalty, a momentous step that made the West African country the 23rd on the continent to prohibit capital punishment.

Lawmakers in Sierra Leone voted unanimously Friday to abolish the death penalty, a momentous step that made the West African country the 23rd on the continent to prohibit capital punishment. The decision was one more step in a long-sought goal of civil society organizations and legal practitioners who see the death penalty as a vestige of Africa’s oppressive colonial history. “This is a horrible punishment, and we need to get rid of it,” said Oluwatosin Popoola, a legal adviser at the rights group Amnesty International, a leading critic of capital punishment. A vast majority of the 193 member states of the United Nations have either abolished the death penalty or do not practice it. “It’s a dream come true in terms of criminal justice, to actually remove such a heinous penalty,” said Simitie Lavaly, a member of Sierra Leone’s Human Rights Commission and a lawyer who has represented people on death row. The vote in Sierra Leone came against the backdrop of a steady march in Africa to discard brutal laws imposed by past colonial masters. In April, Malawi ruled the death penalty unconstitutional. In May 2020, Chad did the same. Nearly half of Africa’s 54 independent countries have abolished the punishment, more than double the number from less than two decades ago. While death sentences and executions have declined globally in recent years, they do not necessarily reflect the growing number of countries that have banned capital punishment. At least some of the declines are attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, which slowed or delayed judicial proceedings in many countries. And in some, like the United States, federal executions were ramped up in 2020. As in previous years, China led the 2020 list of countries that execute the most people, killing thousands, according to Amnesty International, which compiles capital punishment statistics. The exact figures for China are not known, as its data remains a state secret. Next in 2020 came Iran, which executed at least 246 people, and then Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and in sixth place the United States, with 17 executions. Most of the American executions were of federal prisoners in the last six months of President Donald Trump’s term, a turnaround after years of an informal moratorium. The legislators in Sierra Leone on Friday replaced the death sentence with a maximum life sentence for certain crimes, including murder and treason. That means judges will have the power to consider mitigating factors, such as whether the defendant has a mental illness. They would have had no such flexibility if the lawmakers had voted instead to replace the death penalty with a mandatory life sentence. The last time the death penalty was carried out in Sierra Leone was 1998, when at the apex of a devastating civil war, 24 soldiers were executed by firing squad for having participated in a coup the year before. Still, convicts have languished for years on death row, where their rights are minimal and where they know that a new government could carry out the punishment without warning. In 2016, the minister of internal affairs at the time publicly ordered the gallows cleaned at the central prison in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, after two men were sentenced to hang. The men had been found guilty of murdering a popular DJ. While public opinion favored the hangings, they were never carried out. Dozens of death sentences in Sierra Leone have been handed down every year. As of the end of last year, at least 94 people remained on death row. One Sierra Leonean woman was sentenced to death in 2010 for the murder of her abusive boyfriend. He had been attacking her with a pipe, and she picked up a knife in self-defense. She was just 17 and should not have been subject to adult legal proceedings. Another was convicted of having murdered her baby stepdaughter by feeding her battery fluid — when really she had given the sick child water. She was on death row for six years. Both women were eventually released, with the help of AdvocAid, a nonprofit group that helps girls and women entangled in Sierra Leone’s legal system. But for years, the prospect of execution hung over them. Sabrina Mahtani, the co-founder and former executive director of AdvocAid, said Sierra Leone’s decision to do away with capital punishment was remarkable especially because it is still recovering from the 1991-2002 civil war that was characterized by intolerance, atrocities and extreme violence. She said Sierra Leone had provided a model that more powerful countries like the United States should emulate. “Here’s a small country in West Africa that had a brutal civil war 20 years ago, and they’ve managed to abolish the death penalty,” Mahtani said. “They would actually be an example for you, U.S., rather than it always being the other way around.” President Julius Maada Bio’s government has worked on several reforms to the criminal justice system, including the repeal of a law frequently used to repress the media. In May, at a review of Sierra Leone’s human rights record at the United Nations, the government announced it would abolish capital punishment as well. “It’s a really big deal in all aspects, in Sierra Leone and internationally,” Popoola said. Sierra Leone is the first of the English-speaking West African countries to abolish the punishment. A decade ago, a commission in Ghana recommended abolition, but in recent years efforts have stalled. In Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, at least 2,700 people are on death row — the highest number by far on the African continent. Gambia had been on track to abolish the death penalty last year, when a new constitution was drafted. But it was rejected by Parliament. Still, Gambia’s president has made some significant moves away from capital punishment, Popoola said. These are all countries that, like Sierra Leone, obtained independence from the Britain in the late 1950s and 1960s — around the same time as that colonial power was carrying out its own last executions. “The death penalty is a colonial imposition, and these laws were inherited from the U.K.,” Mahtani said.

One by one, African countries dismantle colonial-era death penalty laws

Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty and file hate crime charges against the man accused of shooting dead eight people, including six women of Asian origin, in attacks on three spas in the southern US state of Georgia.

Robert Aaron Long, 22, was indicted by a grand jury in Georgia's Fulton County on Tuesday for the murders of four women in a March 16 attack on two spas in the city of Atlanta.

Long, of Woodstock, Georgia, is facing separate charges related to an attack on a spa in Cherokee County the same day that left another four people dead.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sexual-anguish-of-atlanta-suspect-is-familiar-thorn-for-evangelicals-372076">Sexual anguish of Atlanta suspect is familiar thorn for evangelicals</a>

The deaths of six women of Asian origin further stoked fears in an Asian-American population already alarmed by a surge in hate crimes during the coronavirus pandemic.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said she planned to seek the death penalty against Long, who is white.

Willis also said she would file hate crime charges against Long.

Have a look |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/hundreds-in-atlanta-march-to-support-asian-americans-after-deadly-shooting-372003">Hundreds in Atlanta march to support Asian Americans after deadly shooting</a>

Long selected his victims because of their "actual or perceived race, national origin, sex, and gender," Willis said in a court filing.

Police said after Long's arrest that he had acknowledged carrying out the shootings but claimed they were "not racially motivated."

"(Long) apparently has an issue, what he considers a sex addiction," said Captain Jay Baker.

Long told police he had frequented massage parlors in the past and staged the attacks as a form of vengeance against "a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate," Baker said.

Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty and file hate crime charges against the man accused of shooting dead eight people, including six women of Asian origin, in attacks on three spas in the southern US state of Georgia.

Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty and file hate crime charges against the man accused of shooting dead eight people, including six women of Asian origin, in attacks on three spas in the southern US state of Georgia. Robert Aaron Long, 22, was indicted by a grand jury in Georgia's Fulton County on Tuesday for the murders of four women in a March 16 attack on two spas in the city of Atlanta. Long, of Woodstock, Georgia, is facing separate charges related to an attack on a spa in Cherokee County the same day that left another four people dead. Also read | Sexual anguish of Atlanta suspect is familiar thorn for evangelicals The deaths of six women of Asian origin further stoked fears in an Asian-American population already alarmed by a surge in hate crimes during the coronavirus pandemic. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said she planned to seek the death penalty against Long, who is white. Willis also said she would file hate crime charges against Long. Have a look | Hundreds in Atlanta march to support Asian Americans after deadly shooting Long selected his victims because of their "actual or perceived race, national origin, sex, and gender," Willis said in a court filing. Police said after Long's arrest that he had acknowledged carrying out the shootings but claimed they were "not racially motivated." "(Long) apparently has an issue, what he considers a sex addiction," said Captain Jay Baker. Long told police he had frequented massage parlors in the past and staged the attacks as a form of vengeance against "a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate," Baker said.

Death penalty, hate crime charges sought in Georgia spa shootings

Virginia is now the 23rd state in the United States to end capital punishment. Democratic Governor Ralph Northam Wednesday signed legislation repealing the death penalty in Virginia, saying it was "the moral thing to do."

Virginia is the first of the southern states that made up the Confederacy during the 1861-65 US Civil War to eliminate capital punishment.

The state last carried out an execution in 2017 and 1,400 in total -- more than any other of the 50 US states since its founding as a colony in the early 1600s.

The two prisoners currently on Death Row in Virginia will have their sentences converted to life without parole.

Northam signed the bill ending the death penalty at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Virginia, which houses the state's execution chamber.

The governor described the use of the death penalty in Virginia as "fundamentally flawed" and racially biased.

Northam said that in the 20th century, 296 of the 377 defendants executed in Virginia for murder were Black. He cited studies that found a defendant is more than three times as likely to be sentenced to death if the victim of a crime is white than if the victim is Black.

The European Union applauded what it called the latest step in a growing trend to abandon capital punishment.

"The death penalty is incompatible with human dignity and the right to life, constitutes inhuman and degrading treatment, and does not have any proven deterrent effect," the bloc said in a statement.

The Virginia House of Delegates voted 57-41 last month to end capital punishment, two days after the state Senate approved a similar bill.

Virginia has conducted the second-most executions after Texas since the US Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976.

The state housed the capital of the pro-slavery South during the Civil War and was also the site of numerous lynchings of African Americans.

Contrary to all this, at the same time, former president Donald Trump's administration resumed federal executions and put 13 federal inmates to death between July 2020 and his departure from the White House in January.

Trump's successor, Joe Biden, has pledged to abolish the federal death penalty.

Virginia is now the 23rd state in the United States to end capital punishment. Democratic Governor Ralph Northam Wednesday signed legislation repealing the death penalty in Virginia, saying it was "the moral thing to do.

Virginia is now the 23rd state in the United States to end capital punishment. Democratic Governor Ralph Northam Wednesday signed legislation repealing the death penalty in Virginia, saying it was "the moral thing to do." Virginia is the first of the southern states that made up the Confederacy during the 1861-65 US Civil War to eliminate capital punishment. The state last carried out an execution in 2017 and 1,400 in total -- more than any other of the 50 US states since its founding as a colony in the early 1600s. The two prisoners currently on Death Row in Virginia will have their sentences converted to life without parole. Northam signed the bill ending the death penalty at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Virginia, which houses the state's execution chamber. The governor described the use of the death penalty in Virginia as "fundamentally flawed" and racially biased. Northam said that in the 20th century, 296 of the 377 defendants executed in Virginia for murder were Black. He cited studies that found a defendant is more than three times as likely to be sentenced to death if the victim of a crime is white than if the victim is Black. The European Union applauded what it called the latest step in a growing trend to abandon capital punishment. "The death penalty is incompatible with human dignity and the right to life, constitutes inhuman and degrading treatment, and does not have any proven deterrent effect," the bloc said in a statement. The Virginia House of Delegates voted 57-41 last month to end capital punishment, two days after the state Senate approved a similar bill. Virginia has conducted the second-most executions after Texas since the US Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. The state housed the capital of the pro-slavery South during the Civil War and was also the site of numerous lynchings of African Americans. Contrary to all this, at the same time, former president Donald Trump's administration resumed federal executions and put 13 federal inmates to death between July 2020 and his departure from the White House in January. Trump's successor, Joe Biden, has pledged to abolish the federal death penalty.

Virginia first southern US state to abolish death penalty

Days after&nbsp;Lisa Montgomery,&nbsp;only woman on death row in the US, was scheduled to be executed before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony, a&nbsp;judge has granted a stay of execution to her.

The 52-year-old inmate was set to become the first female inmate to be put on a death row in the last 70 years.&nbsp;Montgomery was to receive a lethal injection on Tuesday&nbsp;at a federal penitentiary in Terre-Haute, Indiana.

However, after repeated pleads of her lawyers,&nbsp;Judge James Hanlon of the Southern District of Indiana granted her an&nbsp;eleventh-hour stay of execution late on Monday. The decision was taken considering&nbsp;Montgomery's deteriorating mental health condition.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lisa-montgomery-only-woman-on-death-row-in-us-to-be-executed-on-january-12-354144">Lisa Montgomery, only woman on death row in US, to be executed on January 12</a>

"The record before the Court contains ample evidence that Ms. Montgomery's current mental state is so divorced from reality that she cannot rationally understand the government's rationale for her execution," Judge&nbsp;Hanlon ruled.

"Both the (government) and the victims of crime have an important interest in the timely enforcement of a sentence," he said, adding, "it is also in the public interest to ensure that the government does not execute a prisoner who due to her mental condition 'cannot appreciate the meaning of a community's judgment."

Montgomery was convicted of murdering Bobbie Jo Stinnett, an eight-months pregnant woman, in 2004 by strangling and then cutting out and kidnapping the baby. The inmate, who could not birth a child, aimed her shot at the 23-year-old victim through an online portal and under the guise of buying a dog, she visited&nbsp;Stinnett's house where she then strangled her and cut the baby out of her womb.

Her&nbsp;legal team have argued that her mental condition was not stable and had urged the outgoing President Donald Trump to commute her death sentence. "Given the severity of Mrs Montgomery’s mental illness, the sexual and physical torture she endured throughout her life, and the connection between her trauma and the facts of her crime, we appeal to President Trump to grant her mercy and commute her sentence to life imprisonment," &nbsp;Sandra Babcock, one of her lawyers, said in an earlier statement.

However, Trump had failed to comment or act on the repeated pleads by her legal team. She was to be the first women to be executed by the US government&nbsp;since 1953.

Days after Lisa Montgomery, only woman on death row in the US, was scheduled to be executed before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony, a judge has granted a stay of execution to her.

Days after Lisa Montgomery, only woman on death row in the US, was scheduled to be executed before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony, a judge has granted a stay of execution to her. The 52-year-old inmate was set to become the first female inmate to be put on a death row in the last 70 years. Montgomery was to receive a lethal injection on Tuesday at a federal penitentiary in Terre-Haute, Indiana. However, after repeated pleads of her lawyers, Judge James Hanlon of the Southern District of Indiana granted her an eleventh-hour stay of execution late on Monday. The decision was taken considering Montgomery's deteriorating mental health condition. Also read| Lisa Montgomery, only woman on death row in US, to be executed on January 12 "The record before the Court contains ample evidence that Ms. Montgomery's current mental state is so divorced from reality that she cannot rationally understand the government's rationale for her execution," Judge Hanlon ruled. "Both the (government) and the victims of crime have an important interest in the timely enforcement of a sentence," he said, adding, "it is also in the public interest to ensure that the government does not execute a prisoner who due to her mental condition 'cannot appreciate the meaning of a community's judgment." Montgomery was convicted of murdering Bobbie Jo Stinnett, an eight-months pregnant woman, in 2004 by strangling and then cutting out and kidnapping the baby. The inmate, who could not birth a child, aimed her shot at the 23-year-old victim through an online portal and under the guise of buying a dog, she visited Stinnett's house where she then strangled her and cut the baby out of her womb. Her legal team have argued that her mental condition was not stable and had urged the outgoing President Donald Trump to commute her death sentence. "Given the severity of Mrs Montgomery’s mental illness, the sexual and physical torture she endured throughout her life, and the connection between her trauma and the facts of her crime, we appeal to President Trump to grant her mercy and commute her sentence to life imprisonment," Sandra Babcock, one of her lawyers, said in an earlier statement. However, Trump had failed to comment or act on the repeated pleads by her legal team. She was to be the first women to be executed by the US government since 1953.

Stay granted to Lisa Montgomery, first female inmate on death row in US

A US appeals court has given a go-ahead for the execution of the only woman on federal death row before the President-elect Joe Biden takes oath on January 20.

Lisa Montgomery was scheduled to be put to death in December at the federal correctional complex in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-judge-again-delays-execution-of-lone-woman-on-federal-death-row-352470">US judge again delays execution of lone woman on federal death row</a>

Montgomery was convicted of murdering Bobbie Jo Stinnett, an eight-months pregnant woman, in 2004 by strangling and then cutting out and kidnapping the baby.&nbsp;

She will be the first woman to be executed since 1953 and will be receiving a lethal injection as her final punishment for murdering the Missouri woman.

US district court judge Randolph Moss had earlier ruled that the justice department of the US had unlawfully rescheduled her execution, and had ignored an order from the Direcotr of the Bureau of Prisons demanding her execution to be scheduled for January 12.

Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-execute-first-woman-in-december-after-six-decades-336213">US to execute first woman in December after six decades</a>

Now, the ruling has been handed over by a three-judge panel on the US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit.&nbsp;

Montgomery's legal team have argued that her mental condition was not stable and had urged the outgoing President Donald Trump to commute her death sentence. "Given the severity of Mrs Montgomery’s mental illness, the sexual and physical torture she endured throughout her life, and the connection between her trauma and the facts of her crime, we appeal to President Trump to grant her mercy and commute her sentence to life imprisonment," &nbsp;Sandra Babcock, one of her lawyers, said in an earlier statement.

As per the US Bureau of Prisons records, the last two women to ever be executed in the United States of America was Bonnie Brown Heady, who was executed on December 18, 1953 for kidnapping and murder, and Ethel Rosenberg who was executed for espionage. Her husband, too was executed.

A US appeals court has given a go-ahead for the execution of the only woman on federal death row before the President-elect Joe Biden takes oath on January 20. Lisa Montgomery was scheduled to be put to death in December at the federal correctional complex in Terre Haute, Indiana.

A US appeals court has given a go-ahead for the execution of the only woman on federal death row before the President-elect Joe Biden takes oath on January 20. Lisa Montgomery was scheduled to be put to death in December at the federal correctional complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. Also read| US judge again delays execution of lone woman on federal death row Montgomery was convicted of murdering Bobbie Jo Stinnett, an eight-months pregnant woman, in 2004 by strangling and then cutting out and kidnapping the baby. She will be the first woman to be executed since 1953 and will be receiving a lethal injection as her final punishment for murdering the Missouri woman. US district court judge Randolph Moss had earlier ruled that the justice department of the US had unlawfully rescheduled her execution, and had ignored an order from the Direcotr of the Bureau of Prisons demanding her execution to be scheduled for January 12. Also read| US to execute first woman in December after six decades Now, the ruling has been handed over by a three-judge panel on the US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit. Montgomery's legal team have argued that her mental condition was not stable and had urged the outgoing President Donald Trump to commute her death sentence. "Given the severity of Mrs Montgomery’s mental illness, the sexual and physical torture she endured throughout her life, and the connection between her trauma and the facts of her crime, we appeal to President Trump to grant her mercy and commute her sentence to life imprisonment," Sandra Babcock, one of her lawyers, said in an earlier statement. As per the US Bureau of Prisons records, the last two women to ever be executed in the United States of America was Bonnie Brown Heady, who was executed on December 18, 1953 for kidnapping and murder, and Ethel Rosenberg who was executed for espionage. Her husband, too was executed.

Lisa Montgomery, only woman on death row in US, to be executed on January 12

Kazakhstan abolished the death penalty, making permanent a nearly two-decade freeze on capital punishment in the authoritarian Central Asian country, a notice on the presidential website said Saturday.&nbsp;

The notice said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had signed off on parliamentary ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights -- a document that commits signatories to the abolition of capital punishment.&nbsp;

Also read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kazakhstan-bans-new-year-parties-to-contain-coronavirus-351216">&nbsp;Kazakhstan bans new year parties to contain coronavirus</a>

Executions were paused in Kazakhstan from 2003 but courts continued to sentence convicts to death in exceptional circumstances, including for crimes deemed acts of terror. &nbsp;

Ruslan Kulekbayev, a lone gunman who killed eight policemen and two civilians during a rampage in Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty in 2016, was among the convicts set to be executed if the moratorium were lifted.

Kulekbayev will now serve a life sentence in jail instead. &nbsp;

Kazakhstan abolished the death penalty, making permanent a nearly two-decade freeze on capital punishment in the authoritarian Central Asian country, a notice on the presidential website said Saturday.

Kazakhstan abolished the death penalty, making permanent a nearly two-decade freeze on capital punishment in the authoritarian Central Asian country, a notice on the presidential website said Saturday. The notice said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had signed off on parliamentary ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights -- a document that commits signatories to the abolition of capital punishment. Also read| Kazakhstan bans new year parties to contain coronavirus Executions were paused in Kazakhstan from 2003 but courts continued to sentence convicts to death in exceptional circumstances, including for crimes deemed acts of terror. Ruslan Kulekbayev, a lone gunman who killed eight policemen and two civilians during a rampage in Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty in 2016, was among the convicts set to be executed if the moratorium were lifted. Kulekbayev will now serve a life sentence in jail instead.

Kazakhstan abolishes death penalty

The Afghan Supreme Court has sentenced Mohammad Adil, the mastermind of the November 2020 Kabul University attack that claimed the lives of 22 people, to death.

In a statement on Friday, the Supreme Court said that five other collaborators of the attack were sentenced to various jail terms on charges of treason, transfer of explosive materials and cooperation with the Islamic State (IS) terror group which claimed responsibility, TOLO News.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/targeted-killings-to-be-discussed-in-afghan-peace-talks-top-official-354010" hreflang="en">Targeted killings to be discussed in Afghan peace talks: Top official</a>

Adil, a resident of Panjshir province, was recruited by Sanaullah, a member of the Haqqani Network terror group, according to Vice President Amrullah Saleh.

He was arrested just a few days after the attack.

Adil had been missing for the last three years and it was rumoured that he has gone abroad for "studies and war", Saleh added.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/what-to-know-as-troubled-afghan-peace-talks-enter-a-new-phase-353923" hreflang="en">What to know as troubled Afghan peace talks enter a new phase</a>

On November 2, 2020, at least 22 people were killed and over 40 others were wounded after two gunmen attacked the University.

The victims included 18 students — 16 from the Public Administration Faculty and two from the Law Faculty.

The Afghan Supreme Court has sentenced Mohammad Adil, the mastermind of the November 2020 Kabul University attack that claimed the lives of 22 people, to death. In a statement on Friday, the Supreme Court said that five other collaborators of the attack were sentenced to various jail terms on charges of treason, transfer of explosive materials and cooperation with the Islamic State (IS) terror group which claimed responsibility, TOLO News.

The Afghan Supreme Court has sentenced Mohammad Adil, the mastermind of the November 2020 Kabul University attack that claimed the lives of 22 people, to death. In a statement on Friday, the Supreme Court said that five other collaborators of the attack were sentenced to various jail terms on charges of treason, transfer of explosive materials and cooperation with the Islamic State (IS) terror group which claimed responsibility, TOLO News. Also read| Targeted killings to be discussed in Afghan peace talks: Top official Adil, a resident of Panjshir province, was recruited by Sanaullah, a member of the Haqqani Network terror group, according to Vice President Amrullah Saleh. He was arrested just a few days after the attack. Adil had been missing for the last three years and it was rumoured that he has gone abroad for "studies and war", Saleh added. Also read| What to know as troubled Afghan peace talks enter a new phase On November 2, 2020, at least 22 people were killed and over 40 others were wounded after two gunmen attacked the University. The victims included 18 students — 16 from the Public Administration Faculty and two from the Law Faculty.

Kabul University attack mastermind sentenced to death

Japan's infamous "Twitter killer" was recently sentenced to death for brutally murdering nine people after trapping them through the popular social media platform.&nbsp;

Takahiro Shiraishi, aka Twitter killer, has now said he will not appeal against the verdict. However —&nbsp;what can be called one of the strangest requests — the serial murderer wants to get married before his demise.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-twitter-killer-confesses-to-9-murders-lawyers-argue-on-consent-331412">Japan: 'Twitter killer' confesses to 9 murders; lawyers argue on consent</a>

The 30-year-old had confessed to trapping,&nbsp;killing and butchering eight women and one man. He admitted to targeting internet users through Twitter by specifically aiming users who had posted about taking their own lives.&nbsp;Shiraishi used to tell them he could help them in carrying out their plans, and also probably die with them.

Shiraishi was detained three years ago by the local authorities but claimed he was not nervous about the verdict as "it was obvious".

While his lawyers said they would be appealing to a higher court, he has denied any such intention and has accepted his penalty. However, he has now expressed his desire to meet an 'ordinary girl'.

"Now, I want to meet an ordinary girl," he said. "I want to get married. I want to find a marriage partner while I am in jail."

While a judgement has not been passed on this weird request, the court has ruled against Twitter killer's lawyers' argument on consent. His lawyers had argued that the victims had given consent by replying to his messages.&nbsp;

His lawyers are now appealing the court to give him a prison sentence on the same argument. However, the judge has dismissed it saying this case has already "provoked great anxiety in society, because social networks are so commonly used."

Japan's infamous "Twitter killer" was recently sentenced to death for brutally murdering nine people after trapping them through the popular social media platform.

Japan's infamous "Twitter killer" was recently sentenced to death for brutally murdering nine people after trapping them through the popular social media platform. Takahiro Shiraishi, aka Twitter killer, has now said he will not appeal against the verdict. However — what can be called one of the strangest requests — the serial murderer wants to get married before his demise. Also read| Japan: 'Twitter killer' confesses to 9 murders; lawyers argue on consent The 30-year-old had confessed to trapping, killing and butchering eight women and one man. He admitted to targeting internet users through Twitter by specifically aiming users who had posted about taking their own lives. Shiraishi used to tell them he could help them in carrying out their plans, and also probably die with them. Shiraishi was detained three years ago by the local authorities but claimed he was not nervous about the verdict as "it was obvious". While his lawyers said they would be appealing to a higher court, he has denied any such intention and has accepted his penalty. However, he has now expressed his desire to meet an 'ordinary girl'. "Now, I want to meet an ordinary girl," he said. "I want to get married. I want to find a marriage partner while I am in jail." While a judgement has not been passed on this weird request, the court has ruled against Twitter killer's lawyers' argument on consent. His lawyers had argued that the victims had given consent by replying to his messages. His lawyers are now appealing the court to give him a prison sentence on the same argument. However, the judge has dismissed it saying this case has already "provoked great anxiety in society, because social networks are so commonly used."

Japan's 'Twitter killer' wants to marry an 'ordinary girl' before death sentence

Iran has executed dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam. According to reports Zam was hanged on Saturday morning, he has been convicted of fomenting violence in 2017 anti- government protest. Iran top court had upheld death penalty for Zam.

Iran Journalist Ruhollah Zam Executed

Sports celebrities are used to receiving fan mail, but the Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton received a very unique fan letter from a young boy — a request to save his father.

An 11-year-old boy from Bahrain reached out to Lewis Hamilton to urge him to help him save his father who is facing a death penalty.&nbsp;Ahmed Ramadhan drew a picture of Hamilton's racecar and wrote, "Lewis, please save my father."

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/verstappen-edges-bottas-in-abu-dhabi-practice-as-hamilton-makes-quiet-return-349107">Verstappen edges Bottas in Abu Dhabi practice as Hamilton makes quiet return</a>

Hamilton, during a press conference in the United Arab Emirates capital talked about receiving this letter. "I think the saddest thing for me was that there's a young man on death row and it's not clear ... and when his son writes me a letter it really hits home," he said.

He assured he will be getting in contact with the boy to sort out the matter as much as possible. "I think there's definitely work to be done in the background and I definitely won't let it go unnoticed,"&nbsp;the seven-time Formula 1 champion said.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lewis-hamilton-set-to-be-awarded-knighthood-in-new-years-honours-list-344844">Lewis Hamilton set to be awarded knighthood in New Year's Honours List</a>

The 11-year-old said he is hoping his hero can save his father from getting caught in this system. "When I was drawing the car, I felt hope that it might save my father's life," the boy said.

Wishing his dad is released and returns back home soon, he continued, "I really hope Lewis Hamilton delivers my message so my dad can come back home."

Ahmed's father was arrested and sentenced to death by a top court of Bahrain on the charge of murdering a police officer in a bomb attack. Mohamed Ramadhan was sentenced along with&nbsp;Hussain Moosa. However, it was later alleged that the confessions from the two were extracted through extreme torture.

Talking about the case, Hamilton said he had been hoping to have a conversation in private with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, but his infection had forced him to cancel the plans. "I'd hoped... to sit and address it with the crown prince, but I was bed-ridden for most of the week," he explained.

Sports celebrities are used to receiving fan mail, but the Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton received a very unique fan letter from a young boy — a request to save his father.

Sports celebrities are used to receiving fan mail, but the Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton received a very unique fan letter from a young boy — a request to save his father. An 11-year-old boy from Bahrain reached out to Lewis Hamilton to urge him to help him save his father who is facing a death penalty. Ahmed Ramadhan drew a picture of Hamilton's racecar and wrote, "Lewis, please save my father." Also read| Verstappen edges Bottas in Abu Dhabi practice as Hamilton makes quiet return Hamilton, during a press conference in the United Arab Emirates capital talked about receiving this letter. "I think the saddest thing for me was that there's a young man on death row and it's not clear ... and when his son writes me a letter it really hits home," he said. He assured he will be getting in contact with the boy to sort out the matter as much as possible. "I think there's definitely work to be done in the background and I definitely won't let it go unnoticed," the seven-time Formula 1 champion said. Also read| Lewis Hamilton set to be awarded knighthood in New Year's Honours List The 11-year-old said he is hoping his hero can save his father from getting caught in this system. "When I was drawing the car, I felt hope that it might save my father's life," the boy said. Wishing his dad is released and returns back home soon, he continued, "I really hope Lewis Hamilton delivers my message so my dad can come back home." Ahmed's father was arrested and sentenced to death by a top court of Bahrain on the charge of murdering a police officer in a bomb attack. Mohamed Ramadhan was sentenced along with Hussain Moosa. However, it was later alleged that the confessions from the two were extracted through extreme torture. Talking about the case, Hamilton said he had been hoping to have a conversation in private with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, but his infection had forced him to cancel the plans. "I'd hoped... to sit and address it with the crown prince, but I was bed-ridden for most of the week," he explained.

'Lewis, please save my father': Bahraini child requests Hamilton to save his father from death penalty

Iran’s Supreme Court has upheld a death sentence against France-based dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam for fuelling anti-government unrest in 2017 on social media

Iran top court upholds France-based dissident journalist's death sentence

Bangladesh’s cabinet on Monday approved the death penalty for rapists amid nationwide protests in the wake of a series of gang rapes and sexual assaults.

Bangladesh has seen a surge of sexual crimes in recent years, with nearly 1,000 incidents reported between January and September, more than a fifth of them gang rapes, according to human rights group Ain-o-Salish Kendra.

Experts, however, said tougher penalties would not be enough to tackle the problem and authorities needed to immediately address systemic problems in rape trials and the extremely low conviction rates.

Rights activists blame the increasing number of assaults on a culture of impunity and protection of suspects by influential individuals for political reasons.

The cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, approved the proposal to make the death penalty the highest punishment for rape, Law Minister Anisul Huq told Reuters.

"The law needed to be amended quickly...(Cabinet) has decided an ordinance will be promulgated tomorrow, with the approval of the president, as the parliament is not holding sessions currently," he said.

The latest outpouring of national anger was sparked by a video of a group of men stripping and attacking a woman for almost half an hour in the southeastern district of Noakhali.

An investigation by an autonomous state body, the National Human Rights Commission, found the woman in the video had been raped repeatedly and terrorised with weapons by one of the group over the last year.

"No mercy to rapists" shouted protesters gathered in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere, hundreds of women and students among them. Many carried placards bearing messages such as "Stop rape culture."

"Every day, newspapers carry fresh stories of sexual violence against women," said Sahana Islam, a university student, who joined the protests.

"I fear I am next. I want death penalty for the rapists so that the rest of the inhuman creeps can learn what will happen to them if they ever dare to do it."

When survivors file a complaint for sexual assault in Bangladesh prosecution is very rare and takes years to complete, and the conviction rate in trials that do go to court is very low.

In addition, many rapes go unreported because women fear being stigmatised.

A 2013 survey conducted by the United Nations found that, among men in Bangladesh who admitted to committing rape, 88% of rural respondents and 95% of urban respondents said they faced no legal consequences.

Bangladesh’s cabinet on Monday approved the death penalty for rapists amid nationwide protests in the wake of a series of gang rapes and sexual assaults. Bangladesh has seen a surge of sexual crimes in recent years, with nearly 1,000 incidents reported between January and September, more than a fifth of them gang rapes, according to human rights group Ain-o-Salish Kendra.

Bangladesh’s cabinet on Monday approved the death penalty for rapists amid nationwide protests in the wake of a series of gang rapes and sexual assaults. Bangladesh has seen a surge of sexual crimes in recent years, with nearly 1,000 incidents reported between January and September, more than a fifth of them gang rapes, according to human rights group Ain-o-Salish Kendra. Experts, however, said tougher penalties would not be enough to tackle the problem and authorities needed to immediately address systemic problems in rape trials and the extremely low conviction rates. Rights activists blame the increasing number of assaults on a culture of impunity and protection of suspects by influential individuals for political reasons. The cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, approved the proposal to make the death penalty the highest punishment for rape, Law Minister Anisul Huq told Reuters. "The law needed to be amended quickly...(Cabinet) has decided an ordinance will be promulgated tomorrow, with the approval of the president, as the parliament is not holding sessions currently," he said. The latest outpouring of national anger was sparked by a video of a group of men stripping and attacking a woman for almost half an hour in the southeastern district of Noakhali. An investigation by an autonomous state body, the National Human Rights Commission, found the woman in the video had been raped repeatedly and terrorised with weapons by one of the group over the last year. "No mercy to rapists" shouted protesters gathered in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere, hundreds of women and students among them. Many carried placards bearing messages such as "Stop rape culture." "Every day, newspapers carry fresh stories of sexual violence against women," said Sahana Islam, a university student, who joined the protests. "I fear I am next. I want death penalty for the rapists so that the rest of the inhuman creeps can learn what will happen to them if they ever dare to do it." When survivors file a complaint for sexual assault in Bangladesh prosecution is very rare and takes years to complete, and the conviction rate in trials that do go to court is very low. In addition, many rapes go unreported because women fear being stigmatised. A 2013 survey conducted by the United Nations found that, among men in Bangladesh who admitted to committing rape, 88% of rural respondents and 95% of urban respondents said they faced no legal consequences.

Bangladesh approves death penalty for rape amid protests

A US appeals court overturned the death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on Friday and ordered a lower court to hold new sentencing hearings.

Tsarnaev, 27, was sentenced to death in 2015 for planting two home-made bombs near the finish line of the race in 2013, killing three people and injuring 264 others.

He has admitted carrying out the attack as a 19-year-old with his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died four days after the atrocity in a gunfight with police.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fauci-concerned-about-proper-testing-for-covid-19-vaccines-by-russia-and-china-317384">Also read:&nbsp;Fauci concerned about proper testing for COVID-19 vaccines by Russia and China</a>

Lawyers for Tsarnaev had asked for a new trial, claiming that it should not have been held in Boston because the city was so traumatized by the attack.

They also questioned the neutrality of two jurors, who lied during jury selection about whether they'd had conversations about the case on social media.&nbsp;

The federal appeals court in Massachusetts upheld most of Tsarnaev's convictions but instructed a district court to hold a new penalty-phase trial to determine his fate for crimes that carried the death sentence.

"Just to be crystal clear... Dzhokhar will remain confined to prison for the rest of his life, with the only question remaining being whether the government will end his life by executing him," the three judges said.

Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson wrote that a presiding judge "fell short" in ensuring that a fair jury was selected, noting that some jurors had "already formed an opinion he was guilty."

Attorneys for Tsarnaev, a US citizen who came to the United States from the former Soviet Union as a child, have always claimed that his brother was more culpable of the two, saying Dzhokhar had no history of violence.

Federal death penalty cases are rare in the US, although three inmates were executed this month after President Donald Trump ordered a resumption of federal executions following a 17-year hiatus.

A fourth is scheduled for late next month.

A US appeals court overturned the death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on Friday and ordered a lower court to hold new sentencing hearings.

A US appeals court overturned the death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on Friday and ordered a lower court to hold new sentencing hearings. Tsarnaev, 27, was sentenced to death in 2015 for planting two home-made bombs near the finish line of the race in 2013, killing three people and injuring 264 others. He has admitted carrying out the attack as a 19-year-old with his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died four days after the atrocity in a gunfight with police. Also read: Fauci concerned about proper testing for COVID-19 vaccines by Russia and China Lawyers for Tsarnaev had asked for a new trial, claiming that it should not have been held in Boston because the city was so traumatized by the attack. They also questioned the neutrality of two jurors, who lied during jury selection about whether they'd had conversations about the case on social media. The federal appeals court in Massachusetts upheld most of Tsarnaev's convictions but instructed a district court to hold a new penalty-phase trial to determine his fate for crimes that carried the death sentence. "Just to be crystal clear... Dzhokhar will remain confined to prison for the rest of his life, with the only question remaining being whether the government will end his life by executing him," the three judges said. Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson wrote that a presiding judge "fell short" in ensuring that a fair jury was selected, noting that some jurors had "already formed an opinion he was guilty." Attorneys for Tsarnaev, a US citizen who came to the United States from the former Soviet Union as a child, have always claimed that his brother was more culpable of the two, saying Dzhokhar had no history of violence. Federal death penalty cases are rare in the US, although three inmates were executed this month after President Donald Trump ordered a resumption of federal executions following a 17-year hiatus. A fourth is scheduled for late next month.

Boston Marathon bomber wins death penalty appeal

A year after Attorney General Bill Barr announced that he intended to resume the use of the death penalty for federal crimes, the United States will resume federal executions on July 13, after a 17-year stay, AFP report said quoting Justice Department on Monday.

A year after Attorney General Bill Barr announced that he intended to resume the use of the death penalty for federal crimes, the United States will resume federal executions on July 13, after a 17-year stay, AFP report said quoting Justice Department on Monday. There has been just three federal execution since the death penalty was reinstated by the US government in 1988. Five convicted murderers were scheduled to undergo lethal injections in December 2019 and January of this year at the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana. But at the last minute, the US Supreme Court refused to lift a stay on federal executions, saying that -- "in light of what is at stake" -- the block on executions should be reviewed by an appeals court, the report further said. In April, an appeals court in Washington approved the use of pentobarbital for lethal injections, and Barr ordered that new execution dates be set for four of the five convicts. "We owe it to the victims of these horrific crimes," Barr said in a statement. Following his order, the Bureau of Prisons scheduled the executions to take place between July 13 and August 28. Among the four is Daniel Lewis Lee, an avowed white supremacist, who was sentenced to death for the 1996 murder of a family of three, including an eight-year-old girl. The mother of one of his victims, Earlene Peterson, opposes Lee's execution due to her religious convictions and appealed to US President Donald Trump to grant Lee clemency. "I can't see how executing Daniel Lee will honor my daughter in any way," Peterson said in a video posted online. "In fact, kind of like it dirties her name because she wouldn't want it and I don't want it." Trump, who is a fervent advocate of the death penalty and has even said it should be applied against drug dealers, did not grant her appeal.

US to resume federal executions on July 13, after a 17-year stay

A man in Nigeria was sentenced to death via the video conferencing app Zoom this week, sparking criticism from human rights groups.

The court held the session via Zoom to comply with the state's social distancing guidelines to curb coronavirus.

Olalekan Hameed was found guilty of murdering his mother's employer in 2018, and was sentenced to death by hanging at a virtual court hearing on Monday. He had, however, denied the charges.

Hameed appeared remotely from prison via Zoom, along with his lawyer and prosecutors who also joined the hearing remotely.

To this end, Amnesty International Nigeria Director Osai Ojigho slammed the country's use of the death penalty and questioned why Monday's hearing couldn't be delayed.

Amnesty International is now calling for the the death penalty to be abolished in Nigeria, where there are nearly 3,000 people on death row.

A man in Nigeria was sentenced to death via the video conferencing app Zoom this week, sparking criticism from human rights groups. The court held the session via Zoom to comply with the state's social distancing guidelines to curb coronavirus.

A man in Nigeria was sentenced to death via the video conferencing app Zoom this week, sparking criticism from human rights groups. The court held the session via Zoom to comply with the state's social distancing guidelines to curb coronavirus. Olalekan Hameed was found guilty of murdering his mother's employer in 2018, and was sentenced to death by hanging at a virtual court hearing on Monday. He had, however, denied the charges. Hameed appeared remotely from prison via Zoom, along with his lawyer and prosecutors who also joined the hearing remotely. To this end, Amnesty International Nigeria Director Osai Ojigho slammed the country's use of the death penalty and questioned why Monday's hearing couldn't be delayed. Amnesty International is now calling for the the death penalty to be abolished in Nigeria, where there are nearly 3,000 people on death row.

A man was sentenced to death in Nigeria via Zoom app, inviting backlash

Saudi Arabia's King Salman has ordered an end to the death penalty for crimes committed by minors.

The decision comes&nbsp;in the wake of another order that brought one of the kingdom's most controversial forms of public punishment to a close -- the practice of flogging, replacing it with jail time, fines or community service.

The latest royal decree by King Salman could spare the death penalty for at least six men from the country's minority Shiite community who allegedly committed crimes while under the age of 18, including Ali al-Nimr, who had participated in anti-government protests.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have long called on the kingdom to abolish the use of the death penalty, particularly for crimes committed by minors.

King Salman's son and heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is seen as the force behind the kingdom's loosening of restrictions and its pivot away from ultraconservative interpretations of Islamic law known as Wahhabism, which many in the country still closely adhere to.

The crown prince has sought to modernise the country, attract foreign investment and revamp Saudi Arabia's reputation globally. He's also overseen a parallel crackdown on liberals, women's rights activists, writers, moderate clerics and reformers.

The royal decree orders prosecutors to review cases and drop punishments for those who've already served the maximum 10 years. However, the decree states that terrorism-related cases of minors will be tried differently. It was not immediately clear whether these cases would be bound by the 10-year prison limit.

 
&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia's King Salman has ordered an end to the death penalty for crimes committed by minors. The decision comes in the wake of another order that brought one of the kingdom's most controversial forms of public punishment to a close -- the practice of flogging, replacing it with jail time, fines or community service.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman has ordered an end to the death penalty for crimes committed by minors. The decision comes in the wake of another order that brought one of the kingdom's most controversial forms of public punishment to a close -- the practice of flogging, replacing it with jail time, fines or community service. The latest royal decree by King Salman could spare the death penalty for at least six men from the country's minority Shiite community who allegedly committed crimes while under the age of 18, including Ali al-Nimr, who had participated in anti-government protests. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have long called on the kingdom to abolish the use of the death penalty, particularly for crimes committed by minors. King Salman's son and heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is seen as the force behind the kingdom's loosening of restrictions and its pivot away from ultraconservative interpretations of Islamic law known as Wahhabism, which many in the country still closely adhere to. The crown prince has sought to modernise the country, attract foreign investment and revamp Saudi Arabia's reputation globally. He's also overseen a parallel crackdown on liberals, women's rights activists, writers, moderate clerics and reformers. The royal decree orders prosecutors to review cases and drop punishments for those who've already served the maximum 10 years. However, the decree states that terrorism-related cases of minors will be tried differently. It was not immediately clear whether these cases would be bound by the 10-year prison limit.

Saudi Arabia ends death penalty for minors

The death penalty around the world

Amid the outrage row over delay in death penalty of Nirbhaya, gang-rape and murder case convicts, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday moved to Supreme Court to seeking modifications of the "convict-centric" guidelines to make them more "victim-centric".

In the plea, the government sought a direction from the top court in fixing the deadline for filing of curative pleas after the rejection of review petitions.

According to the plea filed in the top court today, the modifications are needed to reinforce the "people's faith in the rule of law". It also asked to set a time-limit for convicts using their available legal options.

The government also wanted the court to direct that a death row convict can only file a mercy plea within seven days of receiving the death warrant; while the state governments and authorities should issue death warrant within seven days of the mercy plea being rejected.

"If the convict of death sentence wants to file mercy petition, it would be mandatory for a convict of death sentence to do so only within a period of seven days from the date of receipt of death warrant issued by the competent court", the government stated in the plea.

The top court, on January 20, had rejected the plea of a death row convict in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case challenging the Delhi High Court order which had dismissed his claim of being a juvenile at the time of offence saying he cannot re-agitate the issue by filing a fresh application.

A Delhi court has recently issued fresh death warrants for February 1 against the four convicts -- Vinay Sharma (26), Akshay Kumar Singh (31), Mukesh Kumar Singh (32) and Pawan (26) -- in the case after their hanging got delayed from January 22 due to pending petitions.

The 23-year-old paramedic student, referred to as Nirbhaya, was gang-raped and brutally assaulted on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012, in a moving bus in south Delhi by six people before she was thrown out on the road.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

Amid the outrage row over delay in death penalty of Nirbhaya, gang-rape and murder case convicts, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday moved to Supreme Court to seeking modifications of the "convict-centric" guidelines to make them more "victim-centric".

Amid the outrage row over delay in death penalty of Nirbhaya, gang-rape and murder case convicts, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday moved to Supreme Court to seeking modifications of the "convict-centric" guidelines to make them more "victim-centric". In the plea, the government sought a direction from the top court in fixing the deadline for filing of curative pleas after the rejection of review petitions. According to the plea filed in the top court today, the modifications are needed to reinforce the "people's faith in the rule of law". It also asked to set a time-limit for convicts using their available legal options. The government also wanted the court to direct that a death row convict can only file a mercy plea within seven days of receiving the death warrant; while the state governments and authorities should issue death warrant within seven days of the mercy plea being rejected. "If the convict of death sentence wants to file mercy petition, it would be mandatory for a convict of death sentence to do so only within a period of seven days from the date of receipt of death warrant issued by the competent court", the government stated in the plea. The top court, on January 20, had rejected the plea of a death row convict in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case challenging the Delhi High Court order which had dismissed his claim of being a juvenile at the time of offence saying he cannot re-agitate the issue by filing a fresh application. A Delhi court has recently issued fresh death warrants for February 1 against the four convicts -- Vinay Sharma (26), Akshay Kumar Singh (31), Mukesh Kumar Singh (32) and Pawan (26) -- in the case after their hanging got delayed from January 22 due to pending petitions. The 23-year-old paramedic student, referred to as Nirbhaya, was gang-raped and brutally assaulted on the intervening night of December 16-17, 2012, in a moving bus in south Delhi by six people before she was thrown out on the road. (With inputs from agencies)

Government moves to Supreme Court seeking more 'victim-centric' death penalty guidelines

Pervez Musharraf's death sentence has sparked a constitutional crisis in Pakistan. The judiciary has tried to hold the former dictator accountable for his actions. The Pak army, together with Imran Khan's government seems hell-bent on discrediting the court and suspending the sentence.

The Pakistan court's order directed the authorities to drag Musharraf's corpse to d-chowk in Islamabad, where it would hang for 3 days. The judgment, and most importantly the wording has spooked the Pakistani army, who claim the judgment to be beyond culture &amp; religion and question the humanitarian aspect of the judgement.

Imran Khan's government has gone a step ahead, with the Minister of Law &amp; justice questioning the mental capacity and well-being of the judge who passed the verdict.&nbsp;

The Minister of Information &amp; Broadcasting - Fawad Ahmed Chaudhry - has also spoken on the issue and feels that the court should have shown more restraint in its judgment.

The Pakistani Minister of Railways believes that the judgement will only go on to widen the already over-stretched gap that exists between the military's relations with the civilian population.

By openly shaming judges and supporting a former dictator, Imran Khan has given credibility to calls by the opposition who openly claim the PM to be a 'selected' candidate of the army.

The Pakistan Bar Council has also come out with its statement which slammed the army for its comments, calling it a contempt of court and criticising the federal government for lending support to the army.

Pervez Musharraf's death sentence has sparked a constitutional crisis in Pakistan. The judiciary has tried to hold the former dictator accountable for his actions.

Pervez Musharraf's death sentence has sparked a constitutional crisis in Pakistan. The judiciary has tried to hold the former dictator accountable for his actions. The Pak army, together with Imran Khan's government seems hell-bent on discrediting the court and suspending the sentence. The Pakistan court's order directed the authorities to drag Musharraf's corpse to d-chowk in Islamabad, where it would hang for 3 days. The judgment, and most importantly the wording has spooked the Pakistani army, who claim the judgment to be beyond culture & religion and question the humanitarian aspect of the judgement. Imran Khan's government has gone a step ahead, with the Minister of Law & justice questioning the mental capacity and well-being of the judge who passed the verdict. The Minister of Information & Broadcasting - Fawad Ahmed Chaudhry - has also spoken on the issue and feels that the court should have shown more restraint in its judgment. The Pakistani Minister of Railways believes that the judgement will only go on to widen the already over-stretched gap that exists between the military's relations with the civilian population. By openly shaming judges and supporting a former dictator, Imran Khan has given credibility to calls by the opposition who openly claim the PM to be a 'selected' candidate of the army. The Pakistan Bar Council has also come out with its statement which slammed the army for its comments, calling it a contempt of court and criticising the federal government for lending support to the army.

Death penalty for Pervez Musharraf: State of chaos in Pakistan

US prosecutors will seek the death penalty for a Pennsylvania man accused of bursting into a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-pledges-love-and-support-to-pittsburgh-synagogue-victims-on-hannukah-181181">Pittsburgh synagogue last year</a> with a semi-automatic rifle and shooting 11 people to death, according to court papers filed on Monday.

Robert Bowers, 46, shouted "all Jews must die" as he fired on congregants gathered for Sabbath services at the Tree of Life synagogue on October 27, authorities said.

Bowers, who is from a Pittsburgh suburb, has pleaded not guilty in US District Court in Pittsburgh to a 63-count indictment and is awaiting trial though a trial date has not been set. The charges include using a firearm to commit murder and obstruction of free exercise of religious belief resulting in death, the court filing said.

"Robert Bowers expressed hatred and contempt toward members of the Jewish faith and his animus toward members of the Jewish faith played a role in the killings," prosecutors said.

The massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue was the deadliest attack ever on Jewish Americans in the United States.

The synagogue is a fixture in Pittsburgh's historically Jewish neighbourhood of Squirrel Hill, which is home to one of the largest and oldest Jewish populations in the United States.

Bowers targeted that location "to maximize the devastation, amplify the harm of his crimes and instil fear within the local, national and international Jewish communities," prosecutors said in court papers.

An attorney for Bowers, death penalty specialist Judy Clarke, did not return calls or an email seeking comment.

'Drawn out and difficult'

The Tree of Life synagogue hosted multiple Jewish congregations and, according to the New York Times, some people who worshipped there have opposed the possibility of the death penalty for Bowers.

According to the newspaper, Rabbi Jonathan Perlman of New Light Congregation, which met at Tree of Life, said in a letter to US Attorney General William Barr that "a drawn-out and difficult death penalty trial would be a disaster with witnesses and attorneys dredging up horrifying drama and giving this killer the media attention he does not deserve."

Perlman did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

Among those killed were a 97-year-old woman and a married couple in their 80s. Two civilians and five police officers were wounded before the gunman, who was armed with an assault-style rifle and three handguns, was shot by police at the synagogue and surrendered. He has been held in jail since then.

The mass shooting followed a rise in the number of hate crimes and the number of hate groups in the United States, according to separate reports from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

US prosecutors will seek the death penalty for a Pennsylvania man accused of bursting into a Pittsburgh synagogue last year with a semi-automatic rifle and shooting 11 people to death, according to court papers filed on Monday.

US prosecutors will seek the death penalty for a Pennsylvania man accused of bursting into a Pittsburgh synagogue last year with a semi-automatic rifle and shooting 11 people to death, according to court papers filed on Monday. Robert Bowers, 46, shouted "all Jews must die" as he fired on congregants gathered for Sabbath services at the Tree of Life synagogue on October 27, authorities said. Bowers, who is from a Pittsburgh suburb, has pleaded not guilty in US District Court in Pittsburgh to a 63-count indictment and is awaiting trial though a trial date has not been set. The charges include using a firearm to commit murder and obstruction of free exercise of religious belief resulting in death, the court filing said. "Robert Bowers expressed hatred and contempt toward members of the Jewish faith and his animus toward members of the Jewish faith played a role in the killings," prosecutors said. The massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue was the deadliest attack ever on Jewish Americans in the United States. The synagogue is a fixture in Pittsburgh's historically Jewish neighbourhood of Squirrel Hill, which is home to one of the largest and oldest Jewish populations in the United States. Bowers targeted that location "to maximize the devastation, amplify the harm of his crimes and instil fear within the local, national and international Jewish communities," prosecutors said in court papers. An attorney for Bowers, death penalty specialist Judy Clarke, did not return calls or an email seeking comment. 'Drawn out and difficult' The Tree of Life synagogue hosted multiple Jewish congregations and, according to the New York Times, some people who worshipped there have opposed the possibility of the death penalty for Bowers. According to the newspaper, Rabbi Jonathan Perlman of New Light Congregation, which met at Tree of Life, said in a letter to US Attorney General William Barr that "a drawn-out and difficult death penalty trial would be a disaster with witnesses and attorneys dredging up horrifying drama and giving this killer the media attention he does not deserve." Perlman did not immediately return an email seeking comment. Among those killed were a 97-year-old woman and a married couple in their 80s. Two civilians and five police officers were wounded before the gunman, who was armed with an assault-style rifle and three handguns, was shot by police at the synagogue and surrendered. He has been held in jail since then. The mass shooting followed a rise in the number of hate crimes and the number of hate groups in the United States, according to separate reports from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

US to seek death penalty for accused Pittsburgh synagogue shooter

The suspected shooter in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/el-paso-shooting-walmart-massacre-to-be-probed-as-domestic-terror-case-240685">El&nbsp;Paso&nbsp;massacre that left 20 people dead</a> has been charged with murder offences that can carry the death penalty, police said Sunday.

"The suspect has been charged for capital murder," police spokesman Sergeant Robert Gomez told a news conference.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Saturday's rampage appeared to be a hate crime, and police cited a manifesto they attributed to the suspect as evidence that the bloodshed was racially motivated.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/walmart-to-keep-selling-guns-despite-recent-shootings-at-its-stores-in-el-paso-240710">Also read:&nbsp;Walmart to keep selling guns despite recent shootings at its stores in El Paso</a>

On Twitter, US President Donald Trump branded the shooting "an act of cowardice," adding, "I know that I stand with everyone in this country to condemn today's hateful act. There are no reasons or excuses that will ever justify killing innocent people."

Police said the suspect Patrick Crusius, 21, of Allen, Texas opened fire with a rifle on shoppers, many of them bargain-hunting for back-to-school supplies, then surrendered to officers who confronted him outside the store.

El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said the suspect was cooperating with investigators.

Watch:&nbsp;United States bloody history of mass shootings

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/united-states-bloody-history-of-mass-shootings-240651/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"He basically didn't hold anything back," Allen said at Sunday's news conference but declined to elaborate.

The suspected shooter in the El Paso massacre that left 20 people dead has been charged with murder offences that can carry the death penalty, police said Sunday.

The suspected shooter in the El Paso massacre that left 20 people dead has been charged with murder offences that can carry the death penalty, police said Sunday. "The suspect has been charged for capital murder," police spokesman Sergeant Robert Gomez told a news conference. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Saturday's rampage appeared to be a hate crime, and police cited a manifesto they attributed to the suspect as evidence that the bloodshed was racially motivated. Also read: Walmart to keep selling guns despite recent shootings at its stores in El Paso On Twitter, US President Donald Trump branded the shooting "an act of cowardice," adding, "I know that I stand with everyone in this country to condemn today's hateful act. There are no reasons or excuses that will ever justify killing innocent people." Police said the suspect Patrick Crusius, 21, of Allen, Texas opened fire with a rifle on shoppers, many of them bargain-hunting for back-to-school supplies, then surrendered to officers who confronted him outside the store. El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said the suspect was cooperating with investigators. Watch: United States bloody history of mass shootings "He basically didn't hold anything back," Allen said at Sunday's news conference but declined to elaborate.

El Paso shooting suspect charged with 'capital murder': Police

Ten fundamental rights petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court here against the Sri Lankan government's decision to implement death penalty in the nation.

The petitions were filed by the lawyers of Professor C Gunaratne of Center for Policy Alternatives and several prisoners currently on death row at the Welikada Prison, Colombo Page reported.

The petitioners argued that the implementation of death penalty would result in the violation of fundamental rights as established in Article 12 (1) of the constitution.

The Attorney General, the Minister of Justice, the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice, the Commissioner General of Prisons, the Welikada Prison Superintendent and several other parties have been named as respondents.

The petitioners have also requested the Supreme Court to issue an injunction order preventing the implementation of the death sentence.

Last week, President Maithripala Sirisena announced that he had signed the documents for execution of four big-time drug operators currently convicted and awaiting death sentence. However, without revealing their names or divulging any details regarding the executions, the President had noted that the convicts could appeal for clemency.

Following the decision, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had called Sirisena to express concern saying that the executions would directly contradict the country's commitment to maintaining a 43-year moratorium on death penalty at the UN General Assembly last year.\

On his part, Sirisena said protecting the nation and its future generations from the prolific risk of drug trafficking is the reason why he decided to implement death penalty in Sri Lanka.&nbsp;

Ten fundamental rights petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court here against the Sri Lankan government's decision to implement death penalty in the nation.

Ten fundamental rights petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court here against the Sri Lankan government's decision to implement death penalty in the nation. The petitions were filed by the lawyers of Professor C Gunaratne of Center for Policy Alternatives and several prisoners currently on death row at the Welikada Prison, Colombo Page reported. The petitioners argued that the implementation of death penalty would result in the violation of fundamental rights as established in Article 12 (1) of the constitution. The Attorney General, the Minister of Justice, the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice, the Commissioner General of Prisons, the Welikada Prison Superintendent and several other parties have been named as respondents. The petitioners have also requested the Supreme Court to issue an injunction order preventing the implementation of the death sentence. Last week, President Maithripala Sirisena announced that he had signed the documents for execution of four big-time drug operators currently convicted and awaiting death sentence. However, without revealing their names or divulging any details regarding the executions, the President had noted that the convicts could appeal for clemency. Following the decision, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had called Sirisena to express concern saying that the executions would directly contradict the country's commitment to maintaining a 43-year moratorium on death penalty at the UN General Assembly last year.\ On his part, Sirisena said protecting the nation and its future generations from the prolific risk of drug trafficking is the reason why he decided to implement death penalty in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka: 10 fundamental rights petitions filed in Supreme Court against death penalty

death-penalty

Death Penalty, News on Death Penalty, stories on Death Penalty, articles on Death Penalty, Death Penalty stories at Wion, Death Penalty news, Death Penalty latest news