Singapore hanged a 35-year-old Singaporean-Iranian man for drug trafficking on Nov 29, its fourth in less than a month, despite appeals from Tehran to “reconsider” his execution. The United Nations and rights groups say capital punishment has no proven deterrent effect and have called for it to be abolished. Still, Singaporean officials insist it has Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Capital Punishment’
Amnesty International: 53% rise in executions in past year
Thursday, May 18th, 2023Amnesty International has released a report stating that a total of 883 people are known to have been put to death across 20 countries in 2022, marking a rise of 53% compared to 2021. The figures exclude some countries that are thought to carry out executions but where figures are unavailable because data on the Read more
Singapore carries out 10 executions in four months
Thursday, August 11th, 2022Authorities said Singapore hanged two drug traffickers on Friday, despite international calls for the city-state to abolish capital punishment. This brings the number of prisoners executed in the last four months to 10. The spate of hangings included, in April, the widely criticised execution of a man with limited cognitive function. It came after Singapore Read more
Asia Bibi acquitted from death sentence
Thursday, November 1st, 2018
Asia Bibi, the Catholic woman condemned to death under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, has had her conviction overturned by the Supreme Court in Pakistan. She has now been released from jail. Observers who’ve watched the Bibi’s story unfold over the past eight years say the Pakistani Supreme Court’s decision to acquit the mother of five of Read more
Malaysia sets example – abandons death penalty
Thursday, November 1st, 2018Malaysia has decided to abandon the death penalty. The Asian country’s decision is winning praise and adds further momentum to a growing global trend that human rights advocates hope will spell an end to state-sanctioned killing. Read more
PNG Catholic bishops strongly oppose death penalty
Tuesday, May 19th, 2015
The Catholic bishops of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands strongly oppose the use of the death penalty. In a new Pastoral Letter on the issue of the death penalty the bishops say capital punishment has “no place in a Christian country, where true justice and mercy should prevail.” The bishops say where executions Read more
Scholarships to honour executed Bali duo
Tuesday, May 5th, 2015Australian Catholic University will create two scholarships named after executed drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran for Indonesian students to study in Australia. The scholarships will provide full tuition fees to the student’s chosen course over four years and be awarded to those who write an essay based on the theme of “the sanctity Read more
Bali 9: mentally ill man did not realise he was about to be executed
Tuesday, May 5th, 2015
An Irish missionary in Indonesia says Brazilian Roderigo Gularte seemingly did not realise that he was going to be executed. Gularte suffered from schizophrenia and he also had a bipolar disorder. “I was joking with him, saying that ‘I am 72; I will be up there with you soon enough,” said Father Charles Burrows. He Read more
Ribat hopes executions in Indonesia make PNG reconsider
Friday, May 1st, 2015
The Catholic archbishop of Port Moresby, John Ribat, says this week’s executions in Indonesia underline why Papua New Guinea should not go ahead with reactivating the death penalty. In an interview on Radio Australia he said that he hoped that the circumstances surrounding the executions in Indonesia will bring “more light to our into our Read more
Jakarta’s Archbishop speaks out against death penalty
Tuesday, April 14th, 2015
The Archbishop of Jakarta, Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo, has expressed his concern over Indonesia’s use of the death penalty. He has also criticised the way two Australian detainees Andrew Chan and Myuran Shaveukumaran have been treated. Following Easter Sunday mass, in Jakarta, Archbishop Ignatius told reporters the church was strictly against the use of the death Read more