President Maithripala Sirisena called United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday and said protecting the nation and its future generations from the prolific risk of drug trafficking is the reason why he decided to implement the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-picks-two-hangmen-for-first-prisoner-executions-since-1970s-231430">death penalty in Sri Lanka</a>.

"The life of schoolchildren, university students and the youth are at risk because of the proliferation of drug trafficking. If we are to protect them, the death penalty should be carried out against drug traffickers," Colombo Page quoted the President as saying.

"I consider those opposed to this move as people who are aiding and abetting the drug traffickers," Sirisen added.

The phone came after the Amnesty International expressed shock after Sirisena on Wednesday announced death warrants for four drug offenders who will "very soon" become the first people to be executed in decades on the island nation.&nbsp;

Followingly, the European Union (EU) has reportedly criticised Sri Lanka`s move to resume executions, saying it would directly contradict the country`s commitment to maintain a 43-year moratorium on the death penalty at the UN General Assembly last year.

The EU said in a statement issued on Thursday that Sri Lanka`s planned executions will send the wrong signals to the international community and investors.

The statement added that the EU will monitor Sri Lanka`s commitments to international conventions upon which hinges a preferential trade deal with the country.

In addition, the country on Friday also reportedly hired two executioners to put the four convicts to death.&nbsp;

The executioners were selected from a list of 100 applicants who responded to an advertisement calling for males, aged between 18 and 45, with "excellent moral character" and "mental strength".

Last week, Sirisena announced that he had signed the documents for execution of four big-time drug operators currently convicted and awaiting death sentence, Colombo Page reported.&nbsp;

However, no names were revealed nor any details were divulged about any scheduled executions or information on the cases except that they would take place "very soon".

Executions for drug-related offences are unlawful. They do not meet the threshold for "most serious crimes" - such as intentional killing - to which the use of the death penalty must be restricted under international human rights law, Amnesty International stressed.

Sri Lanka is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which sets the abolition of the death penalty as the goal to be achieved by countries that still retain this punishment.

President Maithripala Sirisena called United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday and said protecting the nation and its future generations from the prolific risk of drug trafficking is the reason why he decided to implement the death penalty in Sri Lanka.

President Maithripala Sirisena called United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday and said protecting the nation and its future generations from the prolific risk of drug trafficking is the reason why he decided to implement the death penalty in Sri Lanka. "The life of schoolchildren, university students and the youth are at risk because of the proliferation of drug trafficking. If we are to protect them, the death penalty should be carried out against drug traffickers," Colombo Page quoted the President as saying. "I consider those opposed to this move as people who are aiding and abetting the drug traffickers," Sirisen added. The phone came after the Amnesty International expressed shock after Sirisena on Wednesday announced death warrants for four drug offenders who will "very soon" become the first people to be executed in decades on the island nation. Followingly, the European Union (EU) has reportedly criticised Sri Lanka`s move to resume executions, saying it would directly contradict the country`s commitment to maintain a 43-year moratorium on the death penalty at the UN General Assembly last year. The EU said in a statement issued on Thursday that Sri Lanka`s planned executions will send the wrong signals to the international community and investors. The statement added that the EU will monitor Sri Lanka`s commitments to international conventions upon which hinges a preferential trade deal with the country. In addition, the country on Friday also reportedly hired two executioners to put the four convicts to death. The executioners were selected from a list of 100 applicants who responded to an advertisement calling for males, aged between 18 and 45, with "excellent moral character" and "mental strength". Last week, Sirisena announced that he had signed the documents for execution of four big-time drug operators currently convicted and awaiting death sentence, Colombo Page reported. However, no names were revealed nor any details were divulged about any scheduled executions or information on the cases except that they would take place "very soon". Executions for drug-related offences are unlawful. They do not meet the threshold for "most serious crimes" - such as intentional killing - to which the use of the death penalty must be restricted under international human rights law, Amnesty International stressed. Sri Lanka is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which sets the abolition of the death penalty as the goal to be achieved by countries that still retain this punishment.

Implementing death penalty will protect future generations from drug trafficking: Sri Lanka President to UN chief

Brunei's sultan has announced death by stoning for gay sex and adultery will not be enforced after a global backlash, but critics Monday called for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brunei-defends-sharia-law-says-law-is-for-prevention-and-not-punishment-209945">harsh sharia laws</a> to be abandoned entirely.

In a speech late Sunday, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said a moratorium on capital punishment that already applies to Brunei's regular criminal code would also extend to its new sharia code, which includes death by stoning for various crimes.&nbsp;

The code, which also punishes theft with the amputation of hands and feet, fully came into force last month in the small sultanate on Borneo island, making it the only country in East or Southeast Asia with sharia law at the national level.

The move <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nz-pm-ardern-says-bruneis-new-death-penalty-for-gay-sex-fly-in-the-face-of-human-rights-207827">sparked anger from governments</a> and rights groups, the United Nations slammed it as a "clear violation" of human rights while celebrities led by actor <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/brunei-gay-sex-stoning-ellen-degeneres-george-clooney-others-ask-for-hotels-boycott-207956">George Clooney called for Brunei-owned hotels to be boycotted</a>.&nbsp;

In a televised address, the all-powerful sultan made his first public comments about the furore and took the rare step of addressing criticism, saying there had been "many questions and misperceptions" regarding the sharia laws.

"Both the common law and the sharia law aim to ensure peace and harmony of the country," he insisted, according to an official translation of his speech.

Some crimes in Muslim-majority Brunei including murder and drug-trafficking were already punishable with death by hanging under the regular criminal code -- which is enforced alongside the sharia code -- but no one has been executed for decades.&nbsp;

Hassanal said that "we have practised a de facto moratorium on the execution of death penalty for cases under the common law.

"This will also be applied to cases under the (sharia penal code), which provides a wider scope for remission."

'Human rights monstrosity'

But rights groups said the announcement did not go far enough.

"It really doesn't change anything," Matthew Woolfe, founder of rights group The Brunei Project, told AFP.

"This announcement does nothing to address the many other human rights concerns about the (sharia code)."

The maximum punishment for gay sex between men under the sharia code is death by stoning, but perpetrators can also be sentenced to lengthy jail terms or caning.&nbsp;

Women convicted of having sexual relations with other women face up to 40 strokes of the cane or a maximum 10-year jail term.

Whipping and jail terms, as well as the severing of limbs for theft, under the new code, was not affected by the sultan's announcement.

It was not clear how far other sharia punishments would be enforced.&nbsp;

The sultan also vowed in his speech Brunei would ratify the United Nations convention against torture which it signed several years ago.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said that "the entire law is a human rights-abusing monstrosity that should be scrapped.&nbsp;

"It's a quaint but unrealistic idea that a temporary moratorium on the death penalty is worth something in a royal dictatorship where the sultan's word is law."

LGBT stigma still strong

While gay Bruneians were relieved the death penalty for homosexual sex would not be enforced, they said the law still encourages discrimination against LGBT people in the former British protectorate of about 400,000 people.

"There will still be hate against LGBT people," Khairul, a gay man in Brunei who gave only one name, told AFP.

"This law should be changed -- as long as it exists, there will always be stigmatisation against LGBT people and non-Muslims in Brunei."

The sultan -- one of the world's wealthiest men, who has been on the throne over five decades -- announced plans for the sharia penal code in 2013.

The first section was introduced in 2014 and included less stringent penalties, such as fines or jail terms for offences including skipping Friday prayers, but introduction of the harsher penalties was delayed after criticism.

Analysts say he is seeking to burnish his Islamic credentials and shore up support among the country's conservatives due to the waning fortunes of the oil-dependent economy, which has been ravaged by a recession in recent years.

Brunei's sultan has announced death by stoning for gay sex and adultery will not be enforced after a global backlash, but critics Monday called for harsh sharia laws to be abandoned entirely.

Brunei's sultan has announced death by stoning for gay sex and adultery will not be enforced after a global backlash, but critics Monday called for harsh sharia laws to be abandoned entirely. In a speech late Sunday, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said a moratorium on capital punishment that already applies to Brunei's regular criminal code would also extend to its new sharia code, which includes death by stoning for various crimes. The code, which also punishes theft with the amputation of hands and feet, fully came into force last month in the small sultanate on Borneo island, making it the only country in East or Southeast Asia with sharia law at the national level. The move sparked anger from governments and rights groups, the United Nations slammed it as a "clear violation" of human rights while celebrities led by actor George Clooney called for Brunei-owned hotels to be boycotted. In a televised address, the all-powerful sultan made his first public comments about the furore and took the rare step of addressing criticism, saying there had been "many questions and misperceptions" regarding the sharia laws. "Both the common law and the sharia law aim to ensure peace and harmony of the country," he insisted, according to an official translation of his speech. Some crimes in Muslim-majority Brunei including murder and drug-trafficking were already punishable with death by hanging under the regular criminal code -- which is enforced alongside the sharia code -- but no one has been executed for decades. Hassanal said that "we have practised a de facto moratorium on the execution of death penalty for cases under the common law. "This will also be applied to cases under the (sharia penal code), which provides a wider scope for remission." 'Human rights monstrosity' But rights groups said the announcement did not go far enough. "It really doesn't change anything," Matthew Woolfe, founder of rights group The Brunei Project, told AFP. "This announcement does nothing to address the many other human rights concerns about the (sharia code)." The maximum punishment for gay sex between men under the sharia code is death by stoning, but perpetrators can also be sentenced to lengthy jail terms or caning. Women convicted of having sexual relations with other women face up to 40 strokes of the cane or a maximum 10-year jail term. Whipping and jail terms, as well as the severing of limbs for theft, under the new code, was not affected by the sultan's announcement. It was not clear how far other sharia punishments would be enforced. The sultan also vowed in his speech Brunei would ratify the United Nations convention against torture which it signed several years ago. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said that "the entire law is a human rights-abusing monstrosity that should be scrapped. "It's a quaint but unrealistic idea that a temporary moratorium on the death penalty is worth something in a royal dictatorship where the sultan's word is law." LGBT stigma still strong While gay Bruneians were relieved the death penalty for homosexual sex would not be enforced, they said the law still encourages discrimination against LGBT people in the former British protectorate of about 400,000 people. "There will still be hate against LGBT people," Khairul, a gay man in Brunei who gave only one name, told AFP. "This law should be changed -- as long as it exists, there will always be stigmatisation against LGBT people and non-Muslims in Brunei." The sultan -- one of the world's wealthiest men, who has been on the throne over five decades -- announced plans for the sharia penal code in 2013. The first section was introduced in 2014 and included less stringent penalties, such as fines or jail terms for offences including skipping Friday prayers, but introduction of the harsher penalties was delayed after criticism. Analysts say he is seeking to burnish his Islamic credentials and shore up support among the country's conservatives due to the waning fortunes of the oil-dependent economy, which has been ravaged by a recession in recent years.

Brunei won't enforce gay sex death penalty after global backlash: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah

The Supreme Court has commuted to life term the death penalty awarded to a man for murdering a child, saying he wanted to reform himself and poems written by him in jail indicate that he realised his mistake.

A bench headed by Justice A K Sikri noted that Dnyaneshwar Suresh Borkar was 22 years old when he committed the crime and while in jail, tried to "join the society" and become a "civilised man".

The bench, also comprising justices S Abdul Nazeer and M R Shah, said Borkar was lodged in jail for last 18 years and his conduct showed that he could be reformed and rehabilitated.

"... We are of the opinion that, in the facts and circumstances of the case, capital punishment is not warranted. Striking the balance between the aggravating and mitigating circumstances, we are of the opinion that mitigating circumstances are in favour of the accused (Borkar) while commuting the death sentence to life imprisonment," the bench said.

It noted several mitigating circumstances which were in favour of the convict, including that "from the poems, written by him in the jail, it appears that he has realised his mistake which was committed by him at the time when he was of young age and that he is reformative".

Borkar had approached the apex court challenging the May 2006 order of the Bombay High Court confirming the death penalty awarded to him by a trial court in Pune for killing a minor child.

His counsel had argued in the apex court that Borkar's conduct was very good in jail and he completed his studies in prison and tried to become a civilised person.

The counsel also told the court that poems written by Borkar in prison reflect that he realised his mistake.

"Though we acknowledge the gravity of the offence, we are unable to satisfy ourselves that this case would fall in the category of 'rarest of rare case' warranting the death sentence," the bench said.

The Supreme Court has commuted to life term the death penalty awarded to a man for murdering a child, saying he wanted to reform himself and poems written by him in jail indicate that he realised his mistake.

The Supreme Court has commuted to life term the death penalty awarded to a man for murdering a child, saying he wanted to reform himself and poems written by him in jail indicate that he realised his mistake. A bench headed by Justice A K Sikri noted that Dnyaneshwar Suresh Borkar was 22 years old when he committed the crime and while in jail, tried to "join the society" and become a "civilised man". The bench, also comprising justices S Abdul Nazeer and M R Shah, said Borkar was lodged in jail for last 18 years and his conduct showed that he could be reformed and rehabilitated. "... We are of the opinion that, in the facts and circumstances of the case, capital punishment is not warranted. Striking the balance between the aggravating and mitigating circumstances, we are of the opinion that mitigating circumstances are in favour of the accused (Borkar) while commuting the death sentence to life imprisonment," the bench said. It noted several mitigating circumstances which were in favour of the convict, including that "from the poems, written by him in the jail, it appears that he has realised his mistake which was committed by him at the time when he was of young age and that he is reformative". Borkar had approached the apex court challenging the May 2006 order of the Bombay High Court confirming the death penalty awarded to him by a trial court in Pune for killing a minor child. His counsel had argued in the apex court that Borkar's conduct was very good in jail and he completed his studies in prison and tried to become a civilised person. The counsel also told the court that poems written by Borkar in prison reflect that he realised his mistake. "Though we acknowledge the gravity of the offence, we are unable to satisfy ourselves that this case would fall in the category of 'rarest of rare case' warranting the death sentence," the bench said.

Impressed with 'reformative poems' of convict, Supreme Court commutes death penalty to life term

Israel's parliament will renew debate next week on a bill that would make it easier to sentence Palestinian attackers to death, Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Tuesday while vowing to have it passed.

"After over three years of a stubborn struggle, the death penalty for terrorist law will finally be brought to the law committee next Wednesday (November 14), and then for its first reading in the Knesset plenum," Lieberman said on Twitter.

"We won't relent or stop until completing the mission."

The bill, which passed a preliminary vote by the full parliament in January, would ease the requirements military courts in the occupied West Bank must meet to sentence Palestinians convicted of "terrorist" crimes to death.&nbsp;

As the law stands now, a panel of three military judges must unanimously approve any death penalty in military courts.

The new bill, planned by members of Lieberman's Yisrael Beitenu party at his behest, would change the requirement to a majority instead of unanimity.

Israel has not carried out any executions since 1962, when Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann was hanged.

Israel abolished the use of capital punishment for murder in civil courts in 1954, though it can still, in theory, be applied for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, treason and crimes against the Jewish people.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed support for the death penalty in certain cases.

But a senior member of Netanyahu's party said Tuesday that he would object to the bill since the Israeli security establishment opposed it.

"I won't support imposing the death penalty before there's a serious debate and decision in the government and security cabinet," Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz wrote on Twitter.

"According to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces), Shin Bet (internal security service) and all the security establishment not only would (the death penalty) not help the fight against terror, it would cause great damage," he said.

A law to sentence "terrorists" to death was one of Lieberman's election promises in 2015, and government support for it was a condition for Yisrael Beitenu joining Netanyahu's coalition.&nbsp;

Israeli elections are expected to be called in the coming months and politicians have been ramping up campaign rhetoric.

The Palestinian government on Tuesday said the bill was "a public invitation to commit murder, and execution, and carry out massacres against our Palestinian people."&nbsp;

"This is a clear breach of laws, international and humanitarian," a statement from the Palestinian government said.&nbsp;

Israel's parliament will renew debate next week on a bill that would make it easier to sentence Palestinian attackers to death, Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Tuesday while vowing to have it passed.

Israel's parliament will renew debate next week on a bill that would make it easier to sentence Palestinian attackers to death, Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Tuesday while vowing to have it passed. "After over three years of a stubborn struggle, the death penalty for terrorist law will finally be brought to the law committee next Wednesday (November 14), and then for its first reading in the Knesset plenum," Lieberman said on Twitter. "We won't relent or stop until completing the mission." The bill, which passed a preliminary vote by the full parliament in January, would ease the requirements military courts in the occupied West Bank must meet to sentence Palestinians convicted of "terrorist" crimes to death. As the law stands now, a panel of three military judges must unanimously approve any death penalty in military courts. The new bill, planned by members of Lieberman's Yisrael Beitenu party at his behest, would change the requirement to a majority instead of unanimity. Israel has not carried out any executions since 1962, when Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann was hanged. Israel abolished the use of capital punishment for murder in civil courts in 1954, though it can still, in theory, be applied for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, treason and crimes against the Jewish people. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed support for the death penalty in certain cases. But a senior member of Netanyahu's party said Tuesday that he would object to the bill since the Israeli security establishment opposed it. "I won't support imposing the death penalty before there's a serious debate and decision in the government and security cabinet," Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz wrote on Twitter. "According to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces), Shin Bet (internal security service) and all the security establishment not only would (the death penalty) not help the fight against terror, it would cause great damage," he said. A law to sentence "terrorists" to death was one of Lieberman's election promises in 2015, and government support for it was a condition for Yisrael Beitenu joining Netanyahu's coalition. Israeli elections are expected to be called in the coming months and politicians have been ramping up campaign rhetoric. The Palestinian government on Tuesday said the bill was "a public invitation to commit murder, and execution, and carry out massacres against our Palestinian people." "This is a clear breach of laws, international and humanitarian," a statement from the Palestinian government said.

Israel lawmakers to debate death penalty for Palestinian 'terrorists'

Malaysia's cabinet has agreed to abolish the death penalty, a senior minister said Thursday, with more than 1,200 people on death row set to win a reprieve following a groundswell of opposition to capital punishment.

Capital punishment is currently mandatory for murder, kidnapping, possession of firearms and drug trafficking, among other crimes, and is carried out by hanging -- a legacy of British colonial rule.

Communications and multimedia minister Gobind Singh Deo confirmed the cabinet had resolved to end the death penalty.

"I hope the law will be amended soon," he told AFP.

The government decided to scrap capital punishment because the Malaysian public had shown they were against the death penalty, Gobind said.

Government minister Liew Vui Keong said earlier Thursday there would be a moratorium on executions for inmates currently on death row, according to local media.

"Since we are abolishing the sentence, all executions should not be carried out," the Star newspaper quoted him as saying.

Liew said the amended law would be put before parliament next Monday.

The moratorium on the death penalty would save, among others, two women accused of assassinating the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il last year.

A Malaysian court last year ruled the case could proceed against Indonesian national Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong of Vietnam after Kim Jong Nam's murder at Kuala Lumpur Airport.&nbsp;

Australian citizen Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto, who was found guilty of drug smuggling by an appeals court in May, will also win a reprieve.

The 54-year-old grandmother was arrested in December 2014 after she was found in possession of 1.1 kilograms (2.4 pounds) of crystal methamphetamine while passing through Kuala Lumpur on a flight from Shanghai to Melbourne.

'Barbarous, cruel'

In April last year, human rights group Amnesty International ranked Malaysia 10th in the use of death penalty among the 23 countries that carried out capital punishment in 2016.

Between 2007 and 2017, 35 individuals were hanged, the New Straits Times newspaper said.

A total of 1,267 prisoners are on death row, making up 2.7 per cent of the 60,000-strong prison population.

The decision was welcomed by rights advocates, who said there was never any proof that mandatory death sentences deterred offenders from violent or drug-related crimes.

"The death penalty is barbarous, and unimaginably cruel," N. Surendran, an advisor with the Lawyers for Liberty rights group, said in a statement.

Once capital punishment is scrapped, Malaysia will have the moral authority to fight for the lives of Malaysians facing death sentences abroad, he added.

Neighbouring Singapore, also a former British colony, maintains the death penalty for certain crimes such as murder and drug trafficking.

Only 23 countries retain the death penalty, with China believed to be the "world's top executioner", according to Amnesty International in its report last month on capital punishment in 2017.

There were 993 executions recorded in 2017 in 23 countries, but Amnesty's numbers do not include the "thousands" it says are believed to have been executed in China, which classifies this information as a state secret.

Excluding China, Amnesty says Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Pakistan -- in that order -- carried out 84 percent of all executions in 2017.

Malaysia's cabinet has agreed to abolish the death penalty, a senior minister said Thursday, with more than 1,200 people on death row set to win a reprieve following a groundswell of opposition to capital punishment.

Malaysia's cabinet has agreed to abolish the death penalty, a senior minister said Thursday, with more than 1,200 people on death row set to win a reprieve following a groundswell of opposition to capital punishment. Capital punishment is currently mandatory for murder, kidnapping, possession of firearms and drug trafficking, among other crimes, and is carried out by hanging -- a legacy of British colonial rule. Communications and multimedia minister Gobind Singh Deo confirmed the cabinet had resolved to end the death penalty. "I hope the law will be amended soon," he told AFP. The government decided to scrap capital punishment because the Malaysian public had shown they were against the death penalty, Gobind said. Government minister Liew Vui Keong said earlier Thursday there would be a moratorium on executions for inmates currently on death row, according to local media. "Since we are abolishing the sentence, all executions should not be carried out," the Star newspaper quoted him as saying. Liew said the amended law would be put before parliament next Monday. The moratorium on the death penalty would save, among others, two women accused of assassinating the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il last year. A Malaysian court last year ruled the case could proceed against Indonesian national Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong of Vietnam after Kim Jong Nam's murder at Kuala Lumpur Airport. Australian citizen Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto, who was found guilty of drug smuggling by an appeals court in May, will also win a reprieve. The 54-year-old grandmother was arrested in December 2014 after she was found in possession of 1.1 kilograms (2.4 pounds) of crystal methamphetamine while passing through Kuala Lumpur on a flight from Shanghai to Melbourne. 'Barbarous, cruel' In April last year, human rights group Amnesty International ranked Malaysia 10th in the use of death penalty among the 23 countries that carried out capital punishment in 2016. Between 2007 and 2017, 35 individuals were hanged, the New Straits Times newspaper said. A total of 1,267 prisoners are on death row, making up 2.7 per cent of the 60,000-strong prison population. The decision was welcomed by rights advocates, who said there was never any proof that mandatory death sentences deterred offenders from violent or drug-related crimes. "The death penalty is barbarous, and unimaginably cruel," N. Surendran, an advisor with the Lawyers for Liberty rights group, said in a statement. Once capital punishment is scrapped, Malaysia will have the moral authority to fight for the lives of Malaysians facing death sentences abroad, he added. Neighbouring Singapore, also a former British colony, maintains the death penalty for certain crimes such as murder and drug trafficking. Only 23 countries retain the death penalty, with China believed to be the "world's top executioner", according to Amnesty International in its report last month on capital punishment in 2017. There were 993 executions recorded in 2017 in 23 countries, but Amnesty's numbers do not include the "thousands" it says are believed to have been executed in China, which classifies this information as a state secret. Excluding China, Amnesty says Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Pakistan -- in that order -- carried out 84 percent of all executions in 2017.

Malaysia to abolish death penalty

President&nbsp;Ram Nath Kovind promulgated the ordinance to amend the POCSO act today, a day after it was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/union-cabinet-approves-death-penalty-for-rape-of-children-under-12-131823">cleared by the Union Cabinet</a>.

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&nbsp;

The ordinance will&nbsp;allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age.

The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved an ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age.

Official sources said that the criminal law amendment ordinance seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce a new provision to sentence convicts of such crimes punishment of death.

The move comes against the backdrop of the alleged rape and murder of girls in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and Gujarat's Surat district recently.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/death-for-raping-children-what-the-ordinance-says-131971">Death for raping children — What the ordinance says</a>

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/president-promulgates-fugitive-economic-offenders-ordinance-131972">President promulgates fugitive economic offenders ordinance</a>

New fast-track courts will be set up to deal with such cases and special forensic kits for rape cases will be given to all police stations and hospitals in the long term, according to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance 2018.

All cases of rape has to be mandatorily completed within two months. A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed.

It stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 16 and 12 years.&nbsp;

Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years, with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison.

The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment,

In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict's "natural life".

The punishment for gangrape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict, the officials said.

There will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years.&nbsp;

The President last night also promulgated Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance that will allow the government to confiscate properties and assets of loan defaulters who flee the country.

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President <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RamNathKovind?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RamNathKovind</a> promulgates the ordinance to amend POCSO act(death sentence to those found guilty of raping a child below 12 years of age) <a href="https://t.co/AryWHQy4Mt">pic.twitter.com/AryWHQy4Mt</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/987924224152043521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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(With inputs from PTI)

The ordinance will allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age

President Ram Nath Kovind promulgated the ordinance to amend the POCSO act today, a day after it was cleared by the Union Cabinet. × The ordinance will allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age. The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved an ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age. Official sources said that the criminal law amendment ordinance seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce a new provision to sentence convicts of such crimes punishment of death. The move comes against the backdrop of the alleged rape and murder of girls in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and Gujarat's Surat district recently. Also read: Death for raping children — What the ordinance says Also read: President promulgates fugitive economic offenders ordinance New fast-track courts will be set up to deal with such cases and special forensic kits for rape cases will be given to all police stations and hospitals in the long term, according to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance 2018. All cases of rape has to be mandatorily completed within two months. A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed. It stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 16 and 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years, with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison. The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment, In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict's "natural life". The punishment for gangrape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict, the officials said. There will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years. The President last night also promulgated Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance that will allow the government to confiscate properties and assets of loan defaulters who flee the country. President #RamNathKovind promulgates the ordinance to amend POCSO act(death sentence to those found guilty of raping a child below 12 years of age) pic.twitter.com/AryWHQy4Mt — ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2018 × (With inputs from PTI)

Death penalty to child rapists: President promulgates the ordinance to amend POCSO Act

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Read the five big stories of the day here

Further Israeli sorties in Syria will have consequences: Iran Iran and Israel traded blame on Sunday for an unprecedented, weeks-long surge in hostilities between their forces over Syria but played down prospects of a spillover into war. Why death penalty only for rape of girls under 12... what about 14, 15 & 16-year-olds? Kamal Haasan Actor politician Kamal Haasan Sunday wondered why the ordinance promulgated by the President provided for death penalty for rape of girls under 12 years alone and not for those aged between 14 and 16 and said families should bring up boys to act responsibly. Yuvraj Singh to retire after 2019 World Cup? Flamboyant Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh, who played his last One Day International (ODI) for the country in June 2017, has said that he will take a call on his career after the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales. Liverpool's Mohamed Salah wins PFA Player of the Year award Liverpool's Mohamed Salah won the PFA Player of the Year award as Manchester City's Leroy Sane picked up the young player's award, the PFA announced early on Monday US: Patron snatches rifle after naked gunman kills 4 at restaurant A nearly nude gunman killed at least four people at a Waffle House restaurant near Nashville, Tennessee early on Sunday and then fled after a patron saved lives by wrestling the assault-style rifle from his hands.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The Centre has given its nod to an ordinance to amend the existing Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act, allowing courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping minors.

President Ram Nath Kovind has also promulgated The Criminal Law amendment ordinance, 2018 to amend POCSO Act to pave way for the death penalty.

Key features of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, for death to child rapists.

* Minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from the rigorous imprisonment of 7 to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment.

* In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which shall mean imprisonment till that person’s natural life.

* The punishment for the gang-rape of a girl under 16 years of age will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of the life of the convict.

* Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided – minimum 20 years’ imprisonment or imprisonment for rest of life or with death.

* In case of a gang-rape of a girl below 12 years, punishment will be imprisonment for rest of life or death sentence.

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The Cabinet has approved an Ordinance to be promulgated to provide for stringent punishments for perpetrators of rape. <a href="https://t.co/PSKv8L5cW2">pic.twitter.com/PSKv8L5cW2</a>
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Speedy investigation and trial:

* Time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within 2 months.

* Time limit for completion of the trial of all rape cases has also been prescribed and it has to be necessarily completed in 2 months.

* Six months’ time limit for disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed.

Restrictions on bail:

* It has been prescribed that there will be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang-rape of a girl under 16 years.

* It has also been provided that court has to give notice of 15 days to Public Prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age.

Strengthening the courts and prosecution:

* New fast-track courts will be set up in consultation with States/UTs and High Courts.

* Creation of new posts of public prosecutors and related infrastructure in consultation with States/UTs.

* Special forensic kits for rape cases to all police stations and hospitals.

* Dedicated manpower will be provided for investigation of rape cases in a time bound manner.

* Setting up special forensic labs in each State/UT exclusively for rape cases.

* These measures will form part of a new mission mode project to be launched within 3 months.

National Database:

* National Crime Records Bureau will maintain a national database and profile of sexual offenders.

* This data will be regularly shared with States/UTs for tracking, monitoring and investigation, including verification of antecedents by police.

Assistance to victims:

* The present scheme of One Stop Centres for assistance to the victim to be extended to all districts in the country.

In case of a gang-rape of a girl below 12 years, punishment will be imprisonment for rest of life or death sentence.

The Centre has given its nod to an ordinance to amend the existing Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act, allowing courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping minors. President Ram Nath Kovind has also promulgated The Criminal Law amendment ordinance, 2018 to amend POCSO Act to pave way for the death penalty. Key features of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, for death to child rapists. * Minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from the rigorous imprisonment of 7 to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment. * In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which shall mean imprisonment till that person’s natural life. * The punishment for the gang-rape of a girl under 16 years of age will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of the life of the convict. * Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided – minimum 20 years’ imprisonment or imprisonment for rest of life or with death. * In case of a gang-rape of a girl below 12 years, punishment will be imprisonment for rest of life or death sentence. The Cabinet has approved an Ordinance to be promulgated to provide for stringent punishments for perpetrators of rape. pic.twitter.com/PSKv8L5cW2 — Ministry of WCD (@MinistryWCD) April 21, 2018 × Speedy investigation and trial: * Time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within 2 months. * Time limit for completion of the trial of all rape cases has also been prescribed and it has to be necessarily completed in 2 months. * Six months’ time limit for disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed. Restrictions on bail: * It has been prescribed that there will be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang-rape of a girl under 16 years. * It has also been provided that court has to give notice of 15 days to Public Prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age. Strengthening the courts and prosecution: * New fast-track courts will be set up in consultation with States/UTs and High Courts. * Creation of new posts of public prosecutors and related infrastructure in consultation with States/UTs. * Special forensic kits for rape cases to all police stations and hospitals. * Dedicated manpower will be provided for investigation of rape cases in a time bound manner. * Setting up special forensic labs in each State/UT exclusively for rape cases. * These measures will form part of a new mission mode project to be launched within 3 months. National Database: * National Crime Records Bureau will maintain a national database and profile of sexual offenders. * This data will be regularly shared with States/UTs for tracking, monitoring and investigation, including verification of antecedents by police. Assistance to victims: * The present scheme of One Stop Centres for assistance to the victim to be extended to all districts in the country.

Death for raping children: What the ordinance says

The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved an ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age.

Official sources said here that the criminal law amendment ordinance seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce a new provision to sentence convicts of such crimes punishment of death.

The move comes against the backdrop of the alleged rape and murder of girls in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and Gujarat's Surat district recently.

The rape of a minor in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district had also outraged the nation.

The ordinance would be now sent to the President for his approval.&nbsp;

The move comes against the backdrop of the alleged rape and murder of girls in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and Gujarat's Surat district recently

The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved an ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age. Official sources said here that the criminal law amendment ordinance seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce a new provision to sentence convicts of such crimes punishment of death. The move comes against the backdrop of the alleged rape and murder of girls in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and Gujarat's Surat district recently. The rape of a minor in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district had also outraged the nation. The ordinance would be now sent to the President for his approval.

Union cabinet approves ordinance for death penalty for rape of children

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is back from a five-day foreign trip, has called a special cabinet meeting at 11.30 am on Saturday. &nbsp;

The cabinet will take up two draft ordinances, one of which will look into the capital punishment to those who are convicted of children below the age of 12. The other ordinance will look into the provisional attaching the property of suspected economic offenders who have fled the country.

The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018, the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018 are to be taken up and discussed by the Union Cabinet today.&nbsp;

The Cabinet has decided to address these matters on an urgent basis since the Parliament is not in session. Both the ordinances in many ways underscore the seriousness of the govt with which it takes both the issues.

Reports suggest that the Cabinet may also amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act.

The proposal demanded death penalty to those raping a child of below 12 years of rape.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is back from a five-day foreign trip, has called a special cabinet meeting at 11.30 am on Saturday. The cabinet will take up two draft ordinances, one of which will look into the capital punishment to those who are convicted of children below the age of 12. The other ordinance will look into the provisional attaching the property of suspected economic offenders who have fled the country. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018, the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018 are to be taken up and discussed by the Union Cabinet today. The Cabinet has decided to address these matters on an urgent basis since the Parliament is not in session. Both the ordinances in many ways underscore the seriousness of the govt with which it takes both the issues. Reports suggest that the Cabinet may also amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act.

Union Cabinet meeting: Government mulls death penalty for child rapist

An ordinance to award death penalty to those convicted of raping a child up to 12 years of age is likely to come up before the Union Cabinet tomorrow.

Against the backdrop of outrage over the incidents of rape of minors in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua, the government plans to bring the ordinance to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act by bringing an ordinance, sources aware of the development said today.

According to the proposal, those convicted of committing rape on children up to 12 years can also be awarded death penalty.

As the POCSO law stands today, the maximum punishment for "aggravated assault" is life in jail. The minimum sentence prescribed is seven years in jail.

After the Nirbhaya case in December 2012, when the criminal laws were amended, a provision of death penalty in case the woman either dies or is left in a "vegetative state" after rape was introduced through an ordinance which later became the Criminal Law Amendment Act.

The government informed the Supreme Court today that it is actively considering amending the penal law to introduce death penalty to those convicted of sexually abusing children up to 12 years of age.

The assertion of the Centre assumes significance following the public outcry for award of death penalty to such sexual offenders, including the assaulters of an eight-year-old girl who was gangraped and killed at Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir recently.

A similar incident has been reported in Surat. Police had found the body of a nine-year-old near a cricket field in Bhestan with over 80 injuries, including some on her private parts.

Post-mortem has revealed she was raped for at least eight days before being strangled.

"An ordinance today is the best way to deal with the issue. An amendment bill will have to wait (till July) when the Monsoon session commences," said a law ministry official.

In his first comments on the gruesome incidents of rape in Unnao and Kathua, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last week said that no criminal will be spared and daughters will get justice.

He said such incidents shake our sensibilities.

''I want to assure the nation that no criminal will be spared. Justice will be done. Our daughters will get justice,''&nbsphe had said at an event to inaugurate the B R Ambedkar memorial here.

In London, Modi had said, "We always ask our daughters about what they are doing, where they are going. We must ask our sons too."

The person who is committing these crimes is also someone's son, he said, adding that rape of a daughter is a matter of shame for the country.&nbsp

The government informed the Supreme Court today that it is actively considering amending the penal law to introduce death penalty to those convicted of sexually abusing children up to 12 years of age.

An ordinance to award death penalty to those convicted of raping a child up to 12 years of age is likely to come up before the Union Cabinet tomorrow. Against the backdrop of outrage over the incidents of rape of minors in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua, the government plans to bring the ordinance to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act by bringing an ordinance, sources aware of the development said today. According to the proposal, those convicted of committing rape on children up to 12 years can also be awarded death penalty. As the POCSO law stands today, the maximum punishment for "aggravated assault" is life in jail. The minimum sentence prescribed is seven years in jail. After the Nirbhaya case in December 2012, when the criminal laws were amended, a provision of death penalty in case the woman either dies or is left in a "vegetative state" after rape was introduced through an ordinance which later became the Criminal Law Amendment Act. The government informed the Supreme Court today that it is actively considering amending the penal law to introduce death penalty to those convicted of sexually abusing children up to 12 years of age. The assertion of the Centre assumes significance following the public outcry for award of death penalty to such sexual offenders, including the assaulters of an eight-year-old girl who was gangraped and killed at Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir recently. A similar incident has been reported in Surat. Police had found the body of a nine-year-old near a cricket field in Bhestan with over 80 injuries, including some on her private parts. Post-mortem has revealed she was raped for at least eight days before being strangled. "An ordinance today is the best way to deal with the issue. An amendment bill will have to wait (till July) when the Monsoon session commences," said a law ministry official. In his first comments on the gruesome incidents of rape in Unnao and Kathua, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last week said that no criminal will be spared and daughters will get justice. He said such incidents shake our sensibilities. ''I want to assure the nation that no criminal will be spared. Justice will be done. Our daughters will get justice,''&nbsphe had said at an event to inaugurate the B R Ambedkar memorial here. In London, Modi had said, "We always ask our daughters about what they are doing, where they are going. We must ask our sons too." The person who is committing these crimes is also someone's son, he said, adding that rape of a daughter is a matter of shame for the country.

Ordinance likely to award death penalty for raping children up to 12 years

Disturbed over the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in the Jammu region, Union minister Maneka Gandhi has asked her department to work on a proposal to amend the POCSO law to bring in the provision of death penalty for the rape of a minor below the age of 12 years.

In the present Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, there is no provision for capital punishment with the maximum sentence being life imprisonment for penetrative sexual assault as well aggravated penetrative sexual assault.

The Women and Children Development (WCD) minister has now proposed that rape of any child below the age of 12 years could lead to the death penalty, WCD officials said.

"I have been deeply, deeply disturbed by the rape case in Kathua and all the recent rape cases that have happened on children. I and the (women and child development) ministry intend to bring an amendment to the POCSO Act asking for death penalty for rape of children below 12 years," Maneka Gandhi was heard saying in a video, which was uploaded on Twitter.

The minor girl in the Kathua case, who belonged to the minority nomadic community, had disappeared from near her home in the forests next to a village in Kathua, 90 km from here, on January 10.

A week later, her body was found in the same area, and medical examination pointed towards sexual assault.

During initial investigations, the police arrested a juvenile. Later, the case was transferred to the Jammu and Kashmir Police's Crime Branch.

Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) and later, another five people, including a former revenue official and the alleged conspirator, who surrendered before the Special Investigation Team, were arrested.

The Crime Branch, which probed the rape and killing of the girl, had filed a main charge sheet against seven people and a separate charge sheet against the juvenile in a court in Kathua district earlier this week.

Jammu has been on tenterhooks since the brutal incident. The bar associations have been opposing the action against the accused, alleging that the minority Dogras were being targeted.

Lawyers took to the streets shouting slogans and trying to block the road outside the court where the charge sheets were filed.

The court has fixed the next date of hearing on April 16 when the case would be committed to sessions court for trial.&nbsp

In the present Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, there is no provision for capital punishment with the maximum sentence being life imprisonment for penetrative sexual assault as well aggravated penetrative sexual assault.

Disturbed over the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in the Jammu region, Union minister Maneka Gandhi has asked her department to work on a proposal to amend the POCSO law to bring in the provision of death penalty for the rape of a minor below the age of 12 years. In the present Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, there is no provision for capital punishment with the maximum sentence being life imprisonment for penetrative sexual assault as well aggravated penetrative sexual assault. The Women and Children Development (WCD) minister has now proposed that rape of any child below the age of 12 years could lead to the death penalty, WCD officials said. "I have been deeply, deeply disturbed by the rape case in Kathua and all the recent rape cases that have happened on children. I and the (women and child development) ministry intend to bring an amendment to the POCSO Act asking for death penalty for rape of children below 12 years," Maneka Gandhi was heard saying in a video, which was uploaded on Twitter. The minor girl in the Kathua case, who belonged to the minority nomadic community, had disappeared from near her home in the forests next to a village in Kathua, 90 km from here, on January 10. A week later, her body was found in the same area, and medical examination pointed towards sexual assault. During initial investigations, the police arrested a juvenile. Later, the case was transferred to the Jammu and Kashmir Police's Crime Branch. Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) and later, another five people, including a former revenue official and the alleged conspirator, who surrendered before the Special Investigation Team, were arrested. The Crime Branch, which probed the rape and killing of the girl, had filed a main charge sheet against seven people and a separate charge sheet against the juvenile in a court in Kathua district earlier this week. Jammu has been on tenterhooks since the brutal incident. The bar associations have been opposing the action against the accused, alleging that the minority Dogras were being targeted. Lawyers took to the streets shouting slogans and trying to block the road outside the court where the charge sheets were filed. The court has fixed the next date of hearing on April 16 when the case would be committed to sessions court for trial.

Maneka Gandhi proposes death penalty for rape of children below 12 years

President Donald Trump will unveil a plan on Monday to combat the opioid addiction crisis that includes seeking the death penalty for drug dealers and urging Congress to toughen sentencing laws for drug traffickers, White House officials said on Sunday.

The White House plan will also seek to cut opioid prescriptions by a third over the next three years by promoting practices that reduce overprescription of opioids in federal healthcare programs, officials told a news briefing.

Trump will outline his proposals at an event in New Hampshire, which has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic.

The rollout of the plan will be the latest White House action aimed at addressing a U.S. drug abuse crisis that is causing thousands of overdose deaths a year. Trump has said the United States will need &ldquo;toughness&rdquo; to reverse these trends.

&ldquo;The Department of Justice will seek the death penalty against drug traffickers when it&rsquo;s appropriate under the current law,&rdquo; said Andrew Bremberg, director of Trump&rsquo;s Domestic Policy Council, in the briefing detailing the plan.

The White House did not offer any specific examples of when it would be appropriate to seek the death penalty for drug dealers and referred further questions to the Justice Department.

The current federal law allows for the death penalty in certain drug cases including murder related to a drug trafficking offense and murder committed during a drug-related drive-by shooting, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a nonprofit capital punishment monitor.

It is unclear how this new plan will affect federal prosecutions.

Trump raised the issue of using the death penalty for drug dealers at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. He has repeatedly said individual drug dealers are responsible for thousands of deaths.

The White House is also asking lawmakers to lower the amount of drug possession that triggers mandatory minimum sentences for certain opioids &ldquo;to match the new reality of drugs like fentanyl, which are lethal in much, much smaller doses,&rdquo; Bremberg said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42,000 people died from opioid overdoses in 2016, the latest year with publicly available data.

In addition to pursuing street dealers, the plan directs the Justice Department to aggressively go after criminally negligent doctors and pharmacies and to take criminal and civil actions against opioid manufacturers that break the law.

The proposals will also seek to help those addicted to opioids by expanding access to treatment facilities.

The White House did not offer any specific examples of when it would be appropriate to seek the death penalty for drug dealers and referred further questions to the Justice Department

President Donald Trump will unveil a plan on Monday to combat the opioid addiction crisis that includes seeking the death penalty for drug dealers and urging Congress to toughen sentencing laws for drug traffickers, White House officials said on Sunday. The White House plan will also seek to cut opioid prescriptions by a third over the next three years by promoting practices that reduce overprescription of opioids in federal healthcare programs, officials told a news briefing. Trump will outline his proposals at an event in New Hampshire, which has been hit hard by the opioid epidemic. The rollout of the plan will be the latest White House action aimed at addressing a U.S. drug abuse crisis that is causing thousands of overdose deaths a year. Trump has said the United States will need “toughness” to reverse these trends. “The Department of Justice will seek the death penalty against drug traffickers when it’s appropriate under the current law,” said Andrew Bremberg, director of Trump’s Domestic Policy Council, in the briefing detailing the plan. The White House did not offer any specific examples of when it would be appropriate to seek the death penalty for drug dealers and referred further questions to the Justice Department. The current federal law allows for the death penalty in certain drug cases including murder related to a drug trafficking offense and murder committed during a drug-related drive-by shooting, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a nonprofit capital punishment monitor. It is unclear how this new plan will affect federal prosecutions. Trump raised the issue of using the death penalty for drug dealers at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month. He has repeatedly said individual drug dealers are responsible for thousands of deaths. The White House is also asking lawmakers to lower the amount of drug possession that triggers mandatory minimum sentences for certain opioids “to match the new reality of drugs like fentanyl, which are lethal in much, much smaller doses,” Bremberg said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42,000 people died from opioid overdoses in 2016, the latest year with publicly available data. In addition to pursuing street dealers, the plan directs the Justice Department to aggressively go after criminally negligent doctors and pharmacies and to take criminal and civil actions against opioid manufacturers that break the law. The proposals will also seek to help those addicted to opioids by expanding access to treatment facilities.

Trump to seek death penalty for drug dealers: White House officials

Haryana Assembly on Thursday passed a bill advocating capital punishment for rape of children of 12-years of age and below.

Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have already cleared a bill with similar provisions.

The Madhya Pradesh Assembly unanimously passed a Bill awarding death to those found guilty of raping girls aged 12 and below in December 2017 while Rajasthan passed the similar bill on March 9.

Maharashtra and Karnataka are also considering the death penalty for child rapists. 
&nbsp;

Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have already cleared a bill with similar provisions

Haryana Assembly on Thursday passed a bill advocating capital punishment for rape of children of 12-years of age and below. Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have already cleared a bill with similar provisions. The Madhya Pradesh Assembly unanimously passed a Bill awarding death to those found guilty of raping girls aged 12 and below in December 2017 while Rajasthan passed the similar bill on March 9. Maharashtra and Karnataka are also considering the death penalty for child rapists.

Haryana passes bill advocating death penalty for rape of children below 12

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/with-quote-from-hindi-film-song-supreme-court-allows-passive-euthanasia-35235" target="_blank">With </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/with-quote-from-hindi-film-song-supreme-court-allows-passive-euthanasia-35235" target="_blank">quote</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/with-quote-from-hindi-film-song-supreme-court-allows-passive-euthanasia-35235" target="_blank"> from Hindi film song, Supreme Court allows passive euthanasia</a>

The Indian Supreme Court on Friday&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-approves-passive-euthanasia-35189" target="_blank">recognised the right to passive euthanasia</a>for the terminally ill.&nbsp; The decision was taken by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajasthan-passes-bill-giving-death-penalty-to-rapists-of-girls-below-12-years-35231" target="_blank">Rajasthan passes </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajasthan-passes-bill-giving-death-penalty-to-rapists-of-girls-below-12-years-35231" target="_blank">bill</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajasthan-passes-bill-giving-death-penalty-to-rapists-of-girls-below-12-years-35231" target="_blank"> providing for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajasthan-passes-bill-giving-death-penalty-to-rapists-of-girls-below-12-years-35231" target="_blank">death</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajasthan-passes-bill-giving-death-penalty-to-rapists-of-girls-below-12-years-35231" target="_blank"> penalty to rapists of girls under 12</a>

Rajasthan home minister GC Kataria said the government had made two amendments in the case -- adding life sentence and life imprisonment for convicts in offences against girls below 12 years of age and making a provision that a convict can&#39;t leave prison for life even after completing 14 years in jail.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/parag-agrawal-iit-alumnus-is-twitters-new-cto-35224" target="_blank">Parag Agrawal, </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/parag-agrawal-iit-alumnus-is-twitters-new-cto-35224" target="_blank">IIT</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/parag-agrawal-iit-alumnus-is-twitters-new-cto-35224" target="_blank"> alumnus, is Twitter&#39;s new CTO</a>

Microblogging platform Twitter has appointed &nbsp;IIT-Bombay alumnus Parag Agrawal as its chief technology officer (CTO), an update on the company&#39;s website said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-surprised-at-north-koreas-offer-of-talks-rex-tillerson-35238" target="_blank">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-surprised-at-north-koreas-offer-of-talks-rex-tillerson-35238" target="_blank">&nbsp;surprised at North Korea&#39;s offer of talks: Rex Tillerson</a>

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday said Washington had been surprised by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un&#39;s willingness to hold direct talks with the US on the nuclear standoff in the Korean peninsula.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pak-govt-making-efforts-to-mainstream-hafiz-saeed-and-his-system-mea-raveesh-kumar-35239" target="_blank">Pak govt making efforts to mainstream Hafiz Saeed and his system: India&#39;s MEA</a>

The Ministry of External Affairs, Raveesh Kumar has said that Pakistan is trying to make efforts to mainstream Hafiz Saeed and his system as a political party.

With quote from Hindi film song, Supreme Court allows passive euthanasia The Indian Supreme Court on Friday recognised the right to passive euthanasiafor the terminally ill. The decision was taken by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Rajasthan passes bill providing for death penalty to rapists of girls under 12 Rajasthan home minister GC Kataria said the government had made two amendments in the case -- adding life sentence and life imprisonment for convicts in offences against girls below 12 years of age and making a provision that a convict can't leave prison for life even after completing 14 years in jail. Parag Agrawal, IIT alumnus, is Twitter's new CTO Microblogging platform Twitter has appointed IIT-Bombay alumnus Parag Agrawal as its chief technology officer (CTO), an update on the company's website said. US surprised at North Korea's offer of talks: Rex Tillerson Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday said Washington had been surprised by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's willingness to hold direct talks with the US on the nuclear standoff in the Korean peninsula. Pak govt making efforts to mainstream Hafiz Saeed and his system: India's MEA The Ministry of External Affairs, Raveesh Kumar has said that Pakistan is trying to make efforts to mainstream Hafiz Saeed and his system as a political party.

WION Evening News brief, March 9, 2018

A Nashik court on Saturday announced death sentence for all the six convicts in the&nbsp;2013 Sonai &quot;honour killing&quot;&nbsp;case involving the killing of three&nbsp;Dalit&nbsp;youth.

The court also slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 each for the killings.

On January 1, 2013, three youths were brutally killed in Sonai village of Ahmednagar district and their mutilated body parts were found in a septic tank.

Earlier this month, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam had demanded death penalty for the six convicts, saying they displayed extreme brutality in committing the cold-blooded crime.

&ldquo;This is a typical case of honour killing, where some upper caste had brutally murdered three youths belonging to the scheduled tribe, just because one of the deceased was in love with the daughter of the accused. Deceased Sachin Gharu was an innocent man and in no way had made provocations for the violence. The anger of the accused went up to the extent that they cut the hand and legs of Gharu in eight pieces and the same were recovered from the borewells by the police. The accused also killed the other two eye-witnesses Sandeep Thanwar and Rahul Kandhare, by throwing the former one in a septic tank, while hitting the latter on his head, in order to get rid of prosecution,&rdquo; Ujjwal Nikam had said.

However, the Defence advocate had urged leniency citing the age of the convicts. While the youngest convict is 23, the eldest is 52.

The court on January 15 had convicted all the six accused under various sections of the IPC, including murder and criminal conspiracy for killing Sachin Gharu (24), Sandeep Thanvar (25) and Rahul Kandare (20).

The killings were prompted by an intercaste love affair between Gharu and a girl from the Maratha community.&nbsp;

The court also slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 each for killing the Dalit youths

A Nashik court on Saturday announced death sentence for all the six convicts in the 2013 Sonai "honour killing" case involving the killing of three Dalit youth. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 each for the killings. On January 1, 2013, three youths were brutally killed in Sonai village of Ahmednagar district and their mutilated body parts were found in a septic tank. Earlier this month, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam had demanded death penalty for the six convicts, saying they displayed extreme brutality in committing the cold-blooded crime. “This is a typical case of honour killing, where some upper caste had brutally murdered three youths belonging to the scheduled tribe, just because one of the deceased was in love with the daughter of the accused. Deceased Sachin Gharu was an innocent man and in no way had made provocations for the violence. The anger of the accused went up to the extent that they cut the hand and legs of Gharu in eight pieces and the same were recovered from the borewells by the police. The accused also killed the other two eye-witnesses Sandeep Thanwar and Rahul Kandhare, by throwing the former one in a septic tank, while hitting the latter on his head, in order to get rid of prosecution,” Ujjwal Nikam had said. However, the Defence advocate had urged leniency citing the age of the convicts. While the youngest convict is 23, the eldest is 52. The court on January 15 had convicted all the six accused under various sections of the IPC, including murder and criminal conspiracy for killing Sachin Gharu (24), Sandeep Thanvar (25) and Rahul Kandare (20). The killings were prompted by an intercaste love affair between Gharu and a girl from the Maratha community.

2013 Dalit 'honour' killings: Nashik court sentences 6 to death

The year 2017 saw a significant drop of nearly 27 per cent in the award of death penalty by sessions courts across the country, a report published by the National Law University (NLU) said.&nbsp;

The report titled &#39;Death Penalty in India, Annual Statistics for the year 2017&#39; said that in 2016, 149 persons were sentenced to death, while only 109 convicts were awarded capital punishment in 2017.&nbsp;

Out of the 109 death punishments awarded by sessions courts last year, the high courts commuted 53 cases and acquitted 35 persons, it said. However, the report also showed an increase in a number of convicts sent to gallows for murders involving sexual violence in the year 2017.

It said 43 convicts were awarded death for murders involving sexual violence in 2017, which is 19 more than the year before. Among the states, Maharashtra tops the list with 67 prisoners in death row. The state had 47 death row prisoners in 2016, the report said.&nbsp;

However, the death row population in Karnataka has reduced from 27 in 2016 to 12 in 2017, owing to various commutations and acquittals by the high court.&nbsp;

The report also revealed that as on December 31, 2017, a total of 371 prisoners are on death row across the country. The President of India disposed nine mercy petitions previous year, as compared to six during 2016, it said, adding five out of the nine disposed petitions were rejected and the other four were commuted.

Maharashtra tops the list with 67 prisoners in death row

The year 2017 saw a significant drop of nearly 27 per cent in the award of death penalty by sessions courts across the country, a report published by the National Law University (NLU) said. The report titled 'Death Penalty in India, Annual Statistics for the year 2017' said that in 2016, 149 persons were sentenced to death, while only 109 convicts were awarded capital punishment in 2017. Out of the 109 death punishments awarded by sessions courts last year, the high courts commuted 53 cases and acquitted 35 persons, it said. However, the report also showed an increase in a number of convicts sent to gallows for murders involving sexual violence in the year 2017. It said 43 convicts were awarded death for murders involving sexual violence in 2017, which is 19 more than the year before. Among the states, Maharashtra tops the list with 67 prisoners in death row. The state had 47 death row prisoners in 2016, the report said. However, the death row population in Karnataka has reduced from 27 in 2016 to 12 in 2017, owing to various commutations and acquittals by the high court. The report also revealed that as on December 31, 2017, a total of 371 prisoners are on death row across the country. The President of India disposed nine mercy petitions previous year, as compared to six during 2016, it said, adding five out of the nine disposed petitions were rejected and the other four were commuted.

27% drop in award of death penalty in 2017: NLU report

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Thursday reiterated his call for the death penalty against the Uzbek immigrant accused of killing eight people by driving a truck down a popular Manhattan bike path in the deadliest act of suspected terrorism to strike New York City since Sept. 11, 2001.

Sayfullo Saipov, 29, was charged in federal court on Wednesday with acting in support of the militant group Islamic State by plowing the truck down a riverside bike trail, injuring a dozen people in addition to those killed.

Trump had suggested on Wednesday sending Saipov to the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba, where terrorism suspects apprehended overseas are incarcerated, but on Thursday he said doing so would be too complicated.

&quot;Would love to send the NYC terrorist to Guantanamo but statistically that process takes much longer than going through the Federal system,&quot; Trump said on Twitter.

He added: &quot;There is also something appropriate about keeping him in the home of the horrible crime he committed. Should move fast. DEATH PENALTY!&quot;

According to the complaint filed against him, Saipov told investigators that he had been inspired by watching Islamic State propaganda videos on his cellphone, felt good about what he had done and asked for permission to display the Islamic State flag in his room at Bellevue Hospital Center.

Saipov was taken to Bellevue after he was shot in the abdomen by a police officer at the time of his arrest.

Trump on Thursday also repeated his the call for Congress to end the Diversity Immigrant Visa program under which Saipov entered the United States in 2010, saying on Twitter: &quot;We need to make AMERICA SAFE!&quot;

The diversity program, signed into law in 1990 by Republican President George H.W. Bush, was designed to provide more permanent resident visas to people from countries with low U.S. immigration rates.

One of the two criminal counts Saipov faces, violence and destruction of motor vehicles causing the deaths of eight people, carries the death penalty if the government chooses to seek it, according to acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim.

Tweets and the death penalty

Trump&#39;s tweets calling for the death penalty before Saipov even had a chance to enter a plea to the charges he faces could work to the defendant&#39;s advantage by giving his lawyers a chance to argue that the president prejudiced potential jurors.

&quot;The defence is sure to raise this as unfair and raising questions about a jury being able to reach an impartial verdict,&quot; said James Acker, a criminal justice professor at the State University of New York in Albany who specializes in capital punishment.

It could be used to make an argument that a judge should not allow the death penalty as a sentencing option, Acker said, adding that &quot;the likelihood of that succeeding is very small.&quot;

Saipov&#39;s defence attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Asked by reporters whether he thought Saipov should be executed if convicted, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he categorically opposes the death penalty.

&quot;I believe this is an individual who should rot in prison for the rest of his life,&quot; he told a news conference.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving member of a pair of ethnic Chechen brothers who killed three people and injured more than 260 when they bombed the 2013 Boston Marathon in an attack inspired by the al Qaeda militant group, was sentenced to death in 2015. He is the only inmate among the 61 people on federal death row convicted for an act charged as terrorism.

Senator Lindsay Graham, a Republican, on Thursday repeated his criticism of the Justice Department for charging Saipov in the courts rather than treating him as an enemy combatant.

&quot;I&#39;m dumbfounded as to why the Trump Administration still follows the Obama playbook when it comes to dealing with terror suspects,&quot; Graham said in a statement.

Kim, the federal prosecutor, said the filing of charges against Saipov in federal court does not preclude the government from later declaring him an enemy combatant, though legal experts said such a move was highly unlikely.

Experts also said it would be highly improbable to send Saipov to Guantanamo because a federal judge would have to agree to turn him over to a military commission, and no person has ever been sent to Guantanamo straight from U.S. soil. In addition, as a permanent legal resident of the United States Saipov has virtually the same rights as a U.S. citizen, they said.

Declaring an individual an enemy combatant allows investigators to interrogate the person without having a lawyer present.

Saipov did waive his right to remain silent or have an attorney present when he agreed to speak to investigators from his bed at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, according to the criminal complaint.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it had located another Uzbek man, Mukhammadzoir Kadirov, 32, wanted for questioning as a person of interest in the attack.

Five Argentine tourists, a Belgian woman, a New Yorker and a New Jersey man were killed in Tuesday&#39;s attack.

The attack unfolded a few blocks from the site of the World Trade Center where some 2,600 people lost their lives after suicide hijackers crashed two jetliners into the Twin Towers 16 years ago.

'There is also something appropriate about keeping him in the home of the horrible crime he committed. Should move fast. DEATH PENALTY!' Trump tweeted

US President Donald Trump on Thursday reiterated his call for the death penalty against the Uzbek immigrant accused of killing eight people by driving a truck down a popular Manhattan bike path in the deadliest act of suspected terrorism to strike New York City since Sept. 11, 2001. Sayfullo Saipov, 29, was charged in federal court on Wednesday with acting in support of the militant group Islamic State by plowing the truck down a riverside bike trail, injuring a dozen people in addition to those killed. Trump had suggested on Wednesday sending Saipov to the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba, where terrorism suspects apprehended overseas are incarcerated, but on Thursday he said doing so would be too complicated. "Would love to send the NYC terrorist to Guantanamo but statistically that process takes much longer than going through the Federal system," Trump said on Twitter. He added: "There is also something appropriate about keeping him in the home of the horrible crime he committed. Should move fast. DEATH PENALTY!" According to the complaint filed against him, Saipov told investigators that he had been inspired by watching Islamic State propaganda videos on his cellphone, felt good about what he had done and asked for permission to display the Islamic State flag in his room at Bellevue Hospital Center. Saipov was taken to Bellevue after he was shot in the abdomen by a police officer at the time of his arrest. Trump on Thursday also repeated his the call for Congress to end the Diversity Immigrant Visa program under which Saipov entered the United States in 2010, saying on Twitter: "We need to make AMERICA SAFE!" The diversity program, signed into law in 1990 by Republican President George H.W. Bush, was designed to provide more permanent resident visas to people from countries with low U.S. immigration rates. One of the two criminal counts Saipov faces, violence and destruction of motor vehicles causing the deaths of eight people, carries the death penalty if the government chooses to seek it, according to acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim. Tweets and the death penalty Trump's tweets calling for the death penalty before Saipov even had a chance to enter a plea to the charges he faces could work to the defendant's advantage by giving his lawyers a chance to argue that the president prejudiced potential jurors. "The defence is sure to raise this as unfair and raising questions about a jury being able to reach an impartial verdict," said James Acker, a criminal justice professor at the State University of New York in Albany who specializes in capital punishment. It could be used to make an argument that a judge should not allow the death penalty as a sentencing option, Acker said, adding that "the likelihood of that succeeding is very small." Saipov's defence attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Asked by reporters whether he thought Saipov should be executed if convicted, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he categorically opposes the death penalty. "I believe this is an individual who should rot in prison for the rest of his life," he told a news conference. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving member of a pair of ethnic Chechen brothers who killed three people and injured more than 260 when they bombed the 2013 Boston Marathon in an attack inspired by the al Qaeda militant group, was sentenced to death in 2015. He is the only inmate among the 61 people on federal death row convicted for an act charged as terrorism. Senator Lindsay Graham, a Republican, on Thursday repeated his criticism of the Justice Department for charging Saipov in the courts rather than treating him as an enemy combatant. "I'm dumbfounded as to why the Trump Administration still follows the Obama playbook when it comes to dealing with terror suspects," Graham said in a statement. Kim, the federal prosecutor, said the filing of charges against Saipov in federal court does not preclude the government from later declaring him an enemy combatant, though legal experts said such a move was highly unlikely. Experts also said it would be highly improbable to send Saipov to Guantanamo because a federal judge would have to agree to turn him over to a military commission, and no person has ever been sent to Guantanamo straight from U.S. soil. In addition, as a permanent legal resident of the United States Saipov has virtually the same rights as a U.S. citizen, they said. Declaring an individual an enemy combatant allows investigators to interrogate the person without having a lawyer present. Saipov did waive his right to remain silent or have an attorney present when he agreed to speak to investigators from his bed at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, according to the criminal complaint. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it had located another Uzbek man, Mukhammadzoir Kadirov, 32, wanted for questioning as a person of interest in the attack. Five Argentine tourists, a Belgian woman, a New Yorker and a New Jersey man were killed in Tuesday's attack. The attack unfolded a few blocks from the site of the World Trade Center where some 2,600 people lost their lives after suicide hijackers crashed two jetliners into the Twin Towers 16 years ago.

Trump reiterates call for death penalty for New York truck attack suspect

U.S. President Donald Trump called for the death penalty on Wednesday for an Uzbek immigrant accused of plowing a truck down a New York City bike path, killing eight people, describing the man as a &quot;terrorist.&quot;

Sayfullo Saipov, 29, who was hospitalized after he was shot by a police officer and arrested, told investigators he had been inspired by watching Islamic State videos and began planning Tuesday&#39;s attack a year ago, according to a criminal complaint filed against him on Wednesday.

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NYC terrorist was happy as he asked to hang ISIS flag in his hospital room. He killed 8 people, badly injured 12. SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/925931294705545216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;NYC terrorist was happy as he asked to hang ISIS flag in his hospital room. He killed 8 people, badly injured 12. SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!&quot; Trump tweeted.

Saipov was charged with one count of providing material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization, specifically Islamic State, and one count of violence and destruction of motor vehicles causing the deaths of eight people.

Manhattan acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim said the first count carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, while the second would make Saipov eligible for capital punishment if convicted, if the government chose to seek the death penalty. Additional or different charges could be brought later in an indictment, Kim said.

Vehicle assaults similar to the New York attack took place in Spain in August and in France and Germany last year, claiming dozens of lives.

Saipov confessed to authorities that he made a trial run with a rental truck on Oct. 22 to practice turning the vehicle and &quot;stated that he felt good about what he had done&quot; after the attack, the complaint said.

The 10-page charging document said Saipov waived his rights to remain silent and avoid self-incrimination in agreeing to speak to investigators without an attorney present from his bed at Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan.

The complaint said Saipov had requested permission to display the flag of the Islamic State militant group in his hospital room.

It said he was particularly motivated by seeing a video in which Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who led the campaign by Islamic State - also known as ISIS - to seize territory for a self-proclaimed caliphate within Iraq and Syria, exhorted Muslims in the United States and elsewhere to support the group&#39;s cause.

Investigators found thousands of ISIS-related propaganda images and videos on a cellphone belonging to Saipov, including video clips showing ISIS prisoners being beheaded, run over by a tank and shot in the face, the complaint said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it had located another Uzbek man, Mukhammadzoir Kadirov, 32, wanted for questioning as a person of interest in the attack.

U.S. law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, told Reuters that Saipov had been in contact with Kadirov and another person of interest in the investigation, though they did not elaborate.

Tuesday&#39;s assault was the deadliest in New York City since Sept. 11, 2001, when suicide hijackers crashed two jetliners into the World Trade Center, killing more than 2,600 people.

"NYC terrorist was happy as he asked to hang ISIS flag in his hospital room. He killed 8 people, badly injured 12. SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!" Trump tweeted.

U.S. President Donald Trump called for the death penalty on Wednesday for an Uzbek immigrant accused of plowing a truck down a New York City bike path, killing eight people, describing the man as a "terrorist." Sayfullo Saipov, 29, who was hospitalized after he was shot by a police officer and arrested, told investigators he had been inspired by watching Islamic State videos and began planning Tuesday's attack a year ago, according to a criminal complaint filed against him on Wednesday. NYC terrorist was happy as he asked to hang ISIS flag in his hospital room. He killed 8 people, badly injured 12. SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 2, 2017 × "NYC terrorist was happy as he asked to hang ISIS flag in his hospital room. He killed 8 people, badly injured 12. SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!" Trump tweeted. Saipov was charged with one count of providing material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization, specifically Islamic State, and one count of violence and destruction of motor vehicles causing the deaths of eight people. Manhattan acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim said the first count carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, while the second would make Saipov eligible for capital punishment if convicted, if the government chose to seek the death penalty. Additional or different charges could be brought later in an indictment, Kim said. Vehicle assaults similar to the New York attack took place in Spain in August and in France and Germany last year, claiming dozens of lives. Saipov confessed to authorities that he made a trial run with a rental truck on Oct. 22 to practice turning the vehicle and "stated that he felt good about what he had done" after the attack, the complaint said. The 10-page charging document said Saipov waived his rights to remain silent and avoid self-incrimination in agreeing to speak to investigators without an attorney present from his bed at Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan. The complaint said Saipov had requested permission to display the flag of the Islamic State militant group in his hospital room. It said he was particularly motivated by seeing a video in which Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who led the campaign by Islamic State - also known as ISIS - to seize territory for a self-proclaimed caliphate within Iraq and Syria, exhorted Muslims in the United States and elsewhere to support the group's cause. Investigators found thousands of ISIS-related propaganda images and videos on a cellphone belonging to Saipov, including video clips showing ISIS prisoners being beheaded, run over by a tank and shot in the face, the complaint said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it had located another Uzbek man, Mukhammadzoir Kadirov, 32, wanted for questioning as a person of interest in the attack. U.S. law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, told Reuters that Saipov had been in contact with Kadirov and another person of interest in the investigation, though they did not elaborate. Tuesday's assault was the deadliest in New York City since Sept. 11, 2001, when suicide hijackers crashed two jetliners into the World Trade Center, killing more than 2,600 people.

Trump calls for death penalty for Uzbek man charged in New York attack

On the fateful morning of 27 February 2002, 59 people died in a fire inside the Sabarmati Express train near the Godhra railway station in the Indian state of Gujarat. All of them were kar sevaks who were returning after a religious ceremony at the disputed Babri Masjid site.&nbsp;

On the way, coach S6 of Sabarmati Express was set on fire. The tragedy of the incident did not end there but spilled into a terrible riot across the state of Gujarat. The retaliatory spree of the rioting mob killed hundreds of Muslims, displacing thousands of others as homes were set on fire.

The hearing on the case has continued for more than a decade. Initially, 11 of the perpetrators of the Godhra carnage were given death sentences. But, recently, in a verdict given by the Gujarat High Court, the bench of Justices Anant S Dave and G.R. Udhwani has commuted the sentence of the 11 convicts into life imprisonment.&nbsp;

WION spoke to human rights activist and the Director of Human Rights Watch in South Asia, Meenakshi Ganguly on the issue.

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<h5>What is key is a criminal justice system that conducts a fair and impartial investigation to identify perpetrators and then prosecutes them with enough credible evidence to ensure a conviction.</h5>
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1. Has justice been done in giving life imprisonment terms for 11 convicts of the Godhra train burning incident?

The High Court, on October 10, ruled on an appeal in the Godhra case, commuting 11 death sentences to life imprisonment. Under the Indian constitution, everyone has the right to a fair trial and the right of appeal. In the 2002 cases from Gujarat, most of those convicted-- both in the Sabarmati Express attack in Godhra, as well as for the subsequent attacks on Muslims in various parts of Gujarat including those claiming to be supporters of the government-- have appealed the verdict. Prosecutors can also appeal the verdict, as also happened in this case. The High Court has upheld the 2011 special court ruling, convicting 31 and acquitting 63.

For victims and their families, what is key is a criminal justice system that conducts a fair and impartial investigation to identify perpetrators and then prosecutes them with enough credible evidence to ensure a conviction.

Many believe that violent crimes deserve the capital punishment. We, however, oppose the death penalty in all countries and under all circumstances because it is unique in its cruelty and finality, and is plagued with arbitrariness, prejudice, and error. In its December 18, 2007 resolution calling for a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty, the UN General Assembly stated that &ldquo;there is no conclusive evidence of the death penalty&rsquo;s deterrent value and that any miscarriage or failure of justice in the death penalty&rsquo;s implementation is irreversible and irreparable.&rdquo;

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<h5>We oppose the death penalty. But, of course, those responsible for these deaths need to be held to account.</h5>
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2. The Gujarat High Court has cited 2 reasons for commuting the death sentence: &quot;overcrowdedness&quot; of the coach &amp; &quot;more than 100 people could escape&quot;. Do you see these as sufficient reasons to rule out premeditated murder?

There have been various inquiries into the circumstances that led to the horrible deaths of 59 people on the Sabarmati Express. What is not in doubt is that there was a mob attack on the train and that scores were killed or injured. Since 2002, we continue to see incidents of vigilante violence, often based on racial or religious prejudice. It is crucial that the state draw some lessons. The Gujarat High Court, for instance, said that it was highly charged communal environment at that time, and the state administration should have been much more active in ensuring the protection of pilgrims, particularly in an area that was known to be prone to violence.

3. 59 people died that day but can a state hang eleven people for the crime committed?&nbsp;

We oppose the death penalty. But, of course, those responsible for these deaths need to be held to account. The High Court has upheld convictions after hearing appeals. It has, however, we believe also upheld humane principles and commuted the death penalty to life imprisonment.

4. The High Court has blamed the state administration for its failure to maintain law &amp; order, leading to kar seva. Who do you think should take moral responsibility for the failure?

It is the responsibility of the state to protect lives, and the administration clearly failed to take necessary steps to protect the pilgrims. The High Court has ordered the state to bear responsibility and pay compensation to the victims.

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5. Does the Human Rights Watch still hold on to the view that the government and the Court have been particularly slow in bringing the people involved in Gujarat riots to justice? Particularly, in comparison to the case filed on Godhra?

There have been three incidents of massive communal violence in recent decades. The mass attacks on Sikhs in 1984 after the Indira Gandhi assassination, the 1992-93 attacks on Muslims around the demolition of the Babri Masjid, and then the 2002 attacks on Muslims, killing hundreds after 59 Hindus died during a mob attack on the Sabarmati Express.

In the 1984 and 1992-93 cases, the justice process is stalled despite numerous inquiries. In the Gujarat cases, because of interventions of the Supreme Court, the National Human Rights Commission, and the appointment of independent investigators, there has been progress in a number of cases. People, including those that held office in the Gujarat administration, have been convicted.

6. As a human rights activist, in a situation like this, how do you decide whose side you take? Whose cause do you fight for?

We don&rsquo;t have to take sides. Our role is to ensure that the state abides by the constitution and upholds international standards. We will seek the prosecution of someone responsible for a crime, but will then defend the right of that same accused to a fair trial.

The Gujarat High Court has booked the guilty while passing a 'humane' judgement, says Meenakshi Ganguly of Human Rights Watch

On the fateful morning of 27 February 2002, 59 people died in a fire inside the Sabarmati Express train near the Godhra railway station in the Indian state of Gujarat. All of them were kar sevaks who were returning after a religious ceremony at the disputed Babri Masjid site. On the way, coach S6 of Sabarmati Express was set on fire. The tragedy of the incident did not end there but spilled into a terrible riot across the state of Gujarat. The retaliatory spree of the rioting mob killed hundreds of Muslims, displacing thousands of others as homes were set on fire. The hearing on the case has continued for more than a decade. Initially, 11 of the perpetrators of the Godhra carnage were given death sentences. But, recently, in a verdict given by the Gujarat High Court, the bench of Justices Anant S Dave and G.R. Udhwani has commuted the sentence of the 11 convicts into life imprisonment. WION spoke to human rights activist and the Director of Human Rights Watch in South Asia, Meenakshi Ganguly on the issue. What is key is a criminal justice system that conducts a fair and impartial investigation to identify perpetrators and then prosecutes them with enough credible evidence to ensure a conviction. × 1. Has justice been done in giving life imprisonment terms for 11 convicts of the Godhra train burning incident? The High Court, on October 10, ruled on an appeal in the Godhra case, commuting 11 death sentences to life imprisonment. Under the Indian constitution, everyone has the right to a fair trial and the right of appeal. In the 2002 cases from Gujarat, most of those convicted-- both in the Sabarmati Express attack in Godhra, as well as for the subsequent attacks on Muslims in various parts of Gujarat including those claiming to be supporters of the government-- have appealed the verdict. Prosecutors can also appeal the verdict, as also happened in this case. The High Court has upheld the 2011 special court ruling, convicting 31 and acquitting 63. For victims and their families, what is key is a criminal justice system that conducts a fair and impartial investigation to identify perpetrators and then prosecutes them with enough credible evidence to ensure a conviction. Many believe that violent crimes deserve the capital punishment. We, however, oppose the death penalty in all countries and under all circumstances because it is unique in its cruelty and finality, and is plagued with arbitrariness, prejudice, and error. In its December 18, 2007 resolution calling for a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty, the UN General Assembly stated that “there is no conclusive evidence of the death penalty’s deterrent value and that any miscarriage or failure of justice in the death penalty’s implementation is irreversible and irreparable.” We oppose the death penalty. But, of course, those responsible for these deaths need to be held to account. × 2. The Gujarat High Court has cited 2 reasons for commuting the death sentence: "overcrowdedness" of the coach & "more than 100 people could escape". Do you see these as sufficient reasons to rule out premeditated murder? There have been various inquiries into the circumstances that led to the horrible deaths of 59 people on the Sabarmati Express. What is not in doubt is that there was a mob attack on the train and that scores were killed or injured. Since 2002, we continue to see incidents of vigilante violence, often based on racial or religious prejudice. It is crucial that the state draw some lessons. The Gujarat High Court, for instance, said that it was highly charged communal environment at that time, and the state administration should have been much more active in ensuring the protection of pilgrims, particularly in an area that was known to be prone to violence. 3. 59 people died that day but can a state hang eleven people for the crime committed? We oppose the death penalty. But, of course, those responsible for these deaths need to be held to account. The High Court has upheld convictions after hearing appeals. It has, however, we believe also upheld humane principles and commuted the death penalty to life imprisonment. 4. The High Court has blamed the state administration for its failure to maintain law & order, leading to kar seva. Who do you think should take moral responsibility for the failure? It is the responsibility of the state to protect lives, and the administration clearly failed to take necessary steps to protect the pilgrims. The High Court has ordered the state to bear responsibility and pay compensation to the victims. We will seek the prosecution of someone responsible for a crime, but will then defend the right of that same accused to a fair trial. × 5. Does the Human Rights Watch still hold on to the view that the government and the Court have been particularly slow in bringing the people involved in Gujarat riots to justice? Particularly, in comparison to the case filed on Godhra? There have been three incidents of massive communal violence in recent decades. The mass attacks on Sikhs in 1984 after the Indira Gandhi assassination, the 1992-93 attacks on Muslims around the demolition of the Babri Masjid, and then the 2002 attacks on Muslims, killing hundreds after 59 Hindus died during a mob attack on the Sabarmati Express. In the 1984 and 1992-93 cases, the justice process is stalled despite numerous inquiries. In the Gujarat cases, because of interventions of the Supreme Court, the National Human Rights Commission, and the appointment of independent investigators, there has been progress in a number of cases. People, including those that held office in the Gujarat administration, have been convicted. 6. As a human rights activist, in a situation like this, how do you decide whose side you take? Whose cause do you fight for? We don’t have to take sides. Our role is to ensure that the state abides by the constitution and upholds international standards. We will seek the prosecution of someone responsible for a crime, but will then defend the right of that same accused to a fair trial.

Why the Godhra verdict is humane

Indonesia&#39;s Attorney General said the execution of at least 10 convicts on Friday (July 29) will be suspended pending further reviews. 
 
Four drug traffickers, three Nigerians and one Indonesian, were executed by firing squad during a thunderstorm shortly after midnight earlier today at the prison Island of Nusakambangan. 
 
Initially Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo said 14 convicted drug traffickers, including citizens of India, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe, would be executed. 
 
&quot;After we&#39;ve done the assessment we decided that four people needed to be executed in the early hours today, while the ten other people will be decided later. This suspension was decided through comprehensive assessment and careful thought to avoid any possible mistakes from the judicial aspect and non-judicial aspect.&quot; said Prasetyo during a news conference in Jakarta. 
 
Gurdip Singh of India was among the 10 convicts that were facing execution in a&nbsp;drug peddling case. Singh was found guilty by an Indonesian court and handed death penalty in 2005. 
 
The date for the next round of executions has not been set, Prasetyo said. 
 
The government ignored international calls for clemency and pushed ahead with its plans. 
 
&quot;I have not heard of any diplomatic pressures but only appeals, and I don&#39;t feel like I was pressured. We must enforce and respect the rule of law in our country, surely it&#39;s our dignity,&quot; said Prasetyo. 
 
At least two prisoners among that group of 10, a Pakistani national and an Indonesian woman, have applied for presidential clemency, their representatives said. They said legal proceedings could take a long time. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Indonesia's Attorney General says the execution of 10 drug convicts is suspended due to judicial and non-judicial review

Indonesia's Attorney General said the execution of at least 10 convicts on Friday (July 29) will be suspended pending further reviews. Four drug traffickers, three Nigerians and one Indonesian, were executed by firing squad during a thunderstorm shortly after midnight earlier today at the prison Island of Nusakambangan. Initially Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo said 14 convicted drug traffickers, including citizens of India, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe, would be executed. "After we've done the assessment we decided that four people needed to be executed in the early hours today, while the ten other people will be decided later. This suspension was decided through comprehensive assessment and careful thought to avoid any possible mistakes from the judicial aspect and non-judicial aspect." said Prasetyo during a news conference in Jakarta. Gurdip Singh of India was among the 10 convicts that were facing execution in a drug peddling case. Singh was found guilty by an Indonesian court and handed death penalty in 2005. The date for the next round of executions has not been set, Prasetyo said. The government ignored international calls for clemency and pushed ahead with its plans. "I have not heard of any diplomatic pressures but only appeals, and I don't feel like I was pressured. We must enforce and respect the rule of law in our country, surely it's our dignity," said Prasetyo. At least two prisoners among that group of 10, a Pakistani national and an Indonesian woman, have applied for presidential clemency, their representatives said. They said legal proceedings could take a long time. (Reuters)

Relief for Indian national as Indonesia suspends execution of 10 convicts

India on Thursday said it is making all efforts to save one of its nationals facing death sentence in Indonesia. 
 
Fourteen drug convicts, including nationals of Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Pakistan, are set to be executed in Indonesia today. 
 
Gurdip Singh of India was arrested 14 years ago in a drug peddling case. Singh was found guilty by an Indonesian court and handed death penalty in 2005. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed.
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/758875253451829249">July 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> 
Spokesperson of India&#39;s foreign ministry, Vikas Swarup, said the government was trying to reach out to Indonesian authorities in the matter. 
 
&quot;Even as we speak, our embassy officials, consular officials are camping in Cilacap and have met Shri Gurdip Singh. We have reached out to the foreign office. We are trying to reach out to the senior leadership of Indonesia. We are also in constant touch with his wife and brother in India and keeping them informed of the current situation,&quot; said Swarup in New Delhi. 
 
Swarup added Singh&#39;s legal representative has advised him to file for presidential clemency under the relevant law. 
 
&quot;Gurdip Singh is facing death sentence in a drug case in Indonesia. We are making last minute efforts to save him from execution on July 28,&quot; tweeted India&#39;s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday (July 27). 
 
Singh&#39;s family in northern Jalandhar city of Punjab also sought his release. 
 
&quot;He has spent so many years in jail. I now appeal to send him back. He has not even seen (some of his) his children till date,&quot; said Singh&#39;s wife, Kulwinder Kaur. 
 
News of the impending executions prompted condemnation from the United Nations and the European Union. 
 
Indonesia, which is among Southeast Asia&#39;s biggest markets for narcotics, has declared a &quot;drug emergency&quot; and vowed no mercy for drug traffickers. 
 
It provoked international outrage in April last year with the execution of eight drug traffickers, seven among them foreigners, following the 2013 end of a five-year temporary halt in the practice. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

India said it is making all efforts to reach out to Indonesia to save its national, Gurdip Singh, facing death sentence for drug trafficking

India on Thursday said it is making all efforts to save one of its nationals facing death sentence in Indonesia. Fourteen drug convicts, including nationals of Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Pakistan, are set to be executed in Indonesia today. Gurdip Singh of India was arrested 14 years ago in a drug peddling case. Singh was found guilty by an Indonesian court and handed death penalty in 2005. Indian Ambassador in Indonesia has informed me that Gurdip Singh whose execution was fixed for last night, has not been executed. — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 29, 2016 Spokesperson of India's foreign ministry, Vikas Swarup, said the government was trying to reach out to Indonesian authorities in the matter. "Even as we speak, our embassy officials, consular officials are camping in Cilacap and have met Shri Gurdip Singh. We have reached out to the foreign office. We are trying to reach out to the senior leadership of Indonesia. We are also in constant touch with his wife and brother in India and keeping them informed of the current situation," said Swarup in New Delhi. Swarup added Singh's legal representative has advised him to file for presidential clemency under the relevant law. "Gurdip Singh is facing death sentence in a drug case in Indonesia. We are making last minute efforts to save him from execution on July 28," tweeted India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday (July 27). Singh's family in northern Jalandhar city of Punjab also sought his release. "He has spent so many years in jail. I now appeal to send him back. He has not even seen (some of his) his children till date," said Singh's wife, Kulwinder Kaur. News of the impending executions prompted condemnation from the United Nations and the European Union. Indonesia, which is among Southeast Asia's biggest markets for narcotics, has declared a "drug emergency" and vowed no mercy for drug traffickers. It provoked international outrage in April last year with the execution of eight drug traffickers, seven among them foreigners, following the 2013 end of a five-year temporary halt in the practice. (Reuters)

Indonesia executions: India intervenes, Gurdip Singh hanging suspended until further review

Indonesia urged the international community to respect its law, as another round of executions of drug convicts loomed. 
 
The response came after the United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday (July 27) called for an immediate reinstatement of a moratorium on the death penalty. 
 
&quot;The capital punishment is not against regime in international law. For Indonesia, death penalty is a &#39;positive&#39; law that is still effective here, and its not against the human rights under the context of constitution 1945,&quot; Foreign Ministry spokesman Armanatha Nasir told a news briefing in Jakarta. 
 
&quot;The action that Indonesia takes now is just about law implementation and enforcement. Just like how Indonesia respects the law of other nations, we hope all countries will respect the Indonesian law,&quot; he added. 
 
The United Nations and European Union had urged the executions be halted.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Such death sentences are unlawful and tantamount to an arbitrary execution as they are undertaken in contravention of Indonesia&rsquo;s international human rights obligations,&quot; the UN said in a statement on Thursday. 
 
Amnesty International called the executions &quot;a deplorable act that violates international and Indonesian law&quot; and pleaded that the other death sentences not be carried out. 
 
&quot;The injustice already done cannot be reversed, but there is still hope that it won&#39;t be compounded,&quot; the rights group&#39;s regional director, Rafendi Djamin, said. 
 
Fourteen drug convicts, including nationals of Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and India, will be executed in the next round, Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo has said. 
 
The execution is part of President Joko Widodo&#39;s pledge to combat against drugs in the country. Widodo has pledged to increase the number of executions this year and next. 
 
Security has been tightened around the port leading to the prison island of Nusa Kambangan. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Indonesia's foreign ministry asked the international community to respect its law, saying the death penalty is "positive" for the country

Indonesia urged the international community to respect its law, as another round of executions of drug convicts loomed. The response came after the United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday (July 27) called for an immediate reinstatement of a moratorium on the death penalty. "The capital punishment is not against regime in international law. For Indonesia, death penalty is a 'positive' law that is still effective here, and its not against the human rights under the context of constitution 1945," Foreign Ministry spokesman Armanatha Nasir told a news briefing in Jakarta. "The action that Indonesia takes now is just about law implementation and enforcement. Just like how Indonesia respects the law of other nations, we hope all countries will respect the Indonesian law," he added. The United Nations and European Union had urged the executions be halted. "Such death sentences are unlawful and tantamount to an arbitrary execution as they are undertaken in contravention of Indonesia’s international human rights obligations," the UN said in a statement on Thursday. Amnesty International called the executions "a deplorable act that violates international and Indonesian law" and pleaded that the other death sentences not be carried out. "The injustice already done cannot be reversed, but there is still hope that it won't be compounded," the rights group's regional director, Rafendi Djamin, said. Fourteen drug convicts, including nationals of Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and India, will be executed in the next round, Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo has said. The execution is part of President Joko Widodo's pledge to combat against drugs in the country. Widodo has pledged to increase the number of executions this year and next. Security has been tightened around the port leading to the prison island of Nusa Kambangan. (Reuters)

Indonesia urges international community to respect its law

&nbsp;Arizona&nbsp;has run out of execution drugs, including a sedative implicated in botched lethal injections, according to a filing on Friday in a court case challenging the US&nbsp;state&#39;s execution methods.

The&nbsp;Arizona department of corrections&#39; supply of midazolam, a sedative, expired on May 31 and it has not been able to replace it, state lawyers said in the filing in Phoenix&#39;s US&nbsp;District Court.

&quot;What is more, the Department&#39;s source of midazolam has vanished under pressure from death penalty opponents,&quot; the court document said.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of seven death-row inmates who allege that&nbsp;Arizona&#39;s use of midazolam and two other drugs violate the US&nbsp;Constitution&#39;s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

Since midazolam was at the heart of the lawsuit, the filing asked the judge hearing the case, Neil Wake, to decide whether the suit was moot.

The document said the Department of Corrections also lacked the execution drugs pentobarbital and sodium thiopental.

Arizona&nbsp;has not carried out an execution since the July 2014 execution of Joseph Wood. He was administered 14 times the allowed doses of midazolam and a narcotic, hydromorphone, and took almost two hours to die.

Midazolam, a relative of Valium, has also been cited in a troubled 2014 execution in Oklahoma. It was at the center of a US&nbsp;Supreme Court decision last year where the court upheld its use in Oklahoma.

After the high court&#39;s ruling,&nbsp;Arizona&nbsp;switched to a three-step protocol of midazolam, a paralytic drug and potassium chloride, which stops the heart.

The protocol was the same as that decided in the Supreme Court case, and state lawyers have argued that midazolam thus was acceptable for use in&nbsp;Arizona.

But Wake has ruled that Supreme Court decisions in the Oklahoma case and another involving midazolam were based only on the facts specific to them.

Drug company Pfizer Inc said last month it had banned the sale of execution drugs, including midazolam. The move cut off the last major US&nbsp;source for drugs in the deadly mixes.

The number of inmates executed in the United State has plummeted since the 1990s, with 14 executions so far this year, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. 
 
(Reuters)

State's department of corrections' supply of the sedative midazolam expired on May 31 and it has not been able to replace it

Arizona has run out of execution drugs, including a sedative implicated in botched lethal injections, according to a filing on Friday in a court case challenging the US state's execution methods. The Arizona department of corrections' supply of midazolam, a sedative, expired on May 31 and it has not been able to replace it, state lawyers said in the filing in Phoenix's US District Court. "What is more, the Department's source of midazolam has vanished under pressure from death penalty opponents," the court document said. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of seven death-row inmates who allege that Arizona's use of midazolam and two other drugs violate the US Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Since midazolam was at the heart of the lawsuit, the filing asked the judge hearing the case, Neil Wake, to decide whether the suit was moot. The document said the Department of Corrections also lacked the execution drugs pentobarbital and sodium thiopental. Arizona has not carried out an execution since the July 2014 execution of Joseph Wood. He was administered 14 times the allowed doses of midazolam and a narcotic, hydromorphone, and took almost two hours to die. Midazolam, a relative of Valium, has also been cited in a troubled 2014 execution in Oklahoma. It was at the center of a US Supreme Court decision last year where the court upheld its use in Oklahoma. After the high court's ruling, Arizona switched to a three-step protocol of midazolam, a paralytic drug and potassium chloride, which stops the heart. The protocol was the same as that decided in the Supreme Court case, and state lawyers have argued that midazolam thus was acceptable for use in Arizona. But Wake has ruled that Supreme Court decisions in the Oklahoma case and another involving midazolam were based only on the facts specific to them. Drug company Pfizer Inc said last month it had banned the sale of execution drugs, including midazolam. The move cut off the last major US source for drugs in the deadly mixes. The number of inmates executed in the United State has plummeted since the 1990s, with 14 executions so far this year, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. (Reuters)

Arizona says it has run out of drugs for executions

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