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Donations Welcome to Help ...
03/11/2010 10:00pm by Scott CobbIf anyone would like to help us train the next generation of anti-death penalty activists by donating to the Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break, you can donate by paypal or by sending a check to:
Texas Moratorium Network
3616 Far West Blvd, Suite 117, Box 251
Austin, Texas 78731
paypal@texasmoratorium.org or use this url
http://tinyurl.com/yeau24m
We have students registered from across Texas and some from other states. They will spend four days in Austin with six innocent people exonerated from death row. We will teach them about the injustice of the death penalty and how to work to change public policy. There will be workshops on working with the media, building coalitions, art and activism, lobbying, religion and the death penalty, mental illness, murder victims family members, and more. On the last day, the students will organize a press conference and panel discussion at the capitol and a couple of them will speak at the rally on the south steps of the Texas Capitol along with the six death row exonerees.
The full schedule of events is on the website:
http://springbreakalternative.org/deathpenalty
Thanks!
David Lee Powell Schedule ...
03/04/2010 07:59am by Scott CobbAfter more than 30 years, a date is set for the execution of a man convicted in the killing of an Austin police officer.
David Lee Powell is on death row for shooting and killing Officer Ralph Ablanedo in 1978.
Powell will be executed by lethal injection June 15.
Your Comment
Vote for " Abolish ...
02/23/2010 11:36am by Scott Cobb
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/abolish_the_death_penalty
Texas Moratorium Network sent an email out a few days ago asking people to vote for "Abolish the Death Penalty" in the Ideas for Change contest at Change.org. 236 TMN members have voted so far, which is a little more than one-quarter of the total votes of 820 as of now. Thanks for everyone who already voted. If you have not yet voted, please do. We need another hundred votes or so to move into the top ten. The idea was started at change.org by Gilles Denizot . Nice job Gilles!
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/abolish_the_death_penalty
Take a moment to vote for the Abolish the Death Penalty as an Idea for Change in America at Change.org. (You will have to register atChange.org to vote.) If the idea becomes one of the top ten, Change.org will host an event in Washington, DC, where each of the 10 ideas will be presented to representatives of the media, the nonprofit community, and to relevant officials in the Obama Administration. After the announcement, Change.org will mobilize the full resources of their staff, their 1 million community members, and their extended network of bloggers to support a series of grassroots campaigns to turn each idea into reality.
This is the second annual ideas competition powered by Change.org. The first competition was launched immediately following the 2008 presidential election, during which time people submitted more than 7,500 ideas and 650,000 votes.
How it Works
Beginning January 20, 2010, individuals and organizations everywhere can (1) submit ideas for change they want to see implemented, (2) discuss these ideas with others, and (3) vote for their favorite ideas and promote them across the web.
During the first round of voting, ideas will be organized into 20 different issue-based categories. First round voting ends at 5pm ET on February 25th, at which point the three top ranked ideas in each category will advance to the second (and final) round of voting, starting March 1, 2010 . In this final round, all 60 qualifying ideas (top three in each of 20 categories) will be in open competition. The final round of voting concludes at 5pm ET on March 11th, and the 10 most popular ideas at the conclusion of voting will be named winners – the “Top 10 Ideas for Change in America.”
The Top 10 Ideas for Change in America
To formally announce the winners, Change.org will host an event in Washington, DC, whereeach of these top 10 ideas will be presented to representatives of the media, the nonprofit community, and to relevant officials in the Obama Administration. After the announcement, Change.org will mobilize the full resources of their staff, their 1 million community members, and their extended network of bloggers to support a series of grassroots campaigns to turn each idea into reality.
How to Turn this Idea into Reality?
We need to remain first and be amongst the Top 10 Ideas for Change in America on March 4th, 2010. We need to build a movement to support this idea and bring it to Washington D.C.
We need to understand that it will ONLY happen if we do what we need to make it happen. And we only have until February 25th, 2010! Let’s get ready for Washington D.C.
Demand DNA Testing for Ha ...
02/19/2010 08:09am by Scott Cobb
Texas Moratorium Network sent an email out asking people to sign the petition for Hank Skinner that sends an email to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. It looks like the number of signers went up by about 500 soon after the email went out, so thank you to all the TMN members who signed. The total is now over 5,000. If you have not signed yet, please do.
Sign the petition here:
http://www.change.org/actions/view/hey_texas_please_dont_execute_an_inno...
Write, call, fax or email your own letter to the Board of Pardons and Paroles and Texas Governor Rick Perry. Urge them to stay the execution to allow testing of DNA. In the subject line of your emails or in any letters to the Board of Pardons and Paroles, write "Attention Case of Hank Skinner #999143".
Hank Skinner is scheduled to be executed in Texas on March 24 for three murders he maintains he didn't commit. Several key pieces of biological evidence from the crime scene have not been tested. DNA testing could prove Skinner's innocence or confirm his guilt, but prosecutors are opposing Skinner's appeals and seeking to execute him. There are several pieces of probative biological evidence from the crime scene that haven't been tested. Among this untested evidence are hairs from one victim's hand, a rape kit, fingernail clippings and a windbreaker that could have been worn by an alternate suspect. It is crucial that this testing be conducted before Texas carries out a sentence it can't reverse.
DNA testing can prove the truth. It is not a delay tactic or a diversion -- it has the potential to confirm Skinner's guilt or prove him innocent and you would be making a grave mistake to allow Skinner to executed without first conducting DNA tests.
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428
Fax: 512-463-1849
Main number: 512-463-2000
Website email contact form
Clemency Section
Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
8610 Shoal Creek Blvd.
Austin, TX 78757-6814
Fax (512) 467-0945
bpp-pio@tdcj.state.tx.us
Your Comment
vote for the Abolish the ...
02/18/2010 09:40am by Scott CobbTake a moment to vote for the Abolish the Death Penalty as an Idea for Change in America at Change.org.
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/abolish_the_death_penalty
(You will have to register at Change.org to vote.) If the idea becomes one of the top ten, Change.org will host an event in Washington, DC, where each of the 10 ideas will be presented to representatives of the media, the nonprofit community, and to relevant officials in the Obama Administration. After the announcement, Change.org will mobilize the full resources of their staff, their 1 million community members, and their extended network of bloggers to support a series of grassroots campaigns to turn each idea into reality.
Finally, if you want to spend four days learning about the death penalty and training to take action, register for the Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break, March 15-19, 2010 in Austin, Texas.
http://springbreakalternative.org/deathpenalty
It is designed for high school and college students, but all the workshops and events are open to the public of all ages. We have arranged many interesting speakers, including four innocent, exonerated former death row prisoners, Curtis McCarty, Ron Keine, Shujaa Graham and Perry Cobb, as well as the national director of Sister Helen Prejean's Dead Man Walking School Theatre Project, Bill Pelke of Journey of Hope, Susannah Sheffer of Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights and Brian Evans from the Washington D.C. office of Amnesty International.
If anyone is interested, you can register at the website http://springbreakalternative.org/deathpenalty
Your Comment
Todd Willingham - Innocent and Executed
TMN's Scott Cobb on CNN October 2, 2009
Todd Willingham - Innocent Man Executed in Texas (Nightline Sept 17, 2009) from Scott Cobb on Vimeo.
Sign the petition to Governor Rick Perry and the State of Texas to acknowledge that the fire in the Cameron Todd Willingham case was not arson, therefore no crime was committed and on February 17, 2004, Texas executed an innocent man.March for Abolition 2009 from Matt Crump on Vimeo
Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break
http://springbreakalternative.org/deathpenalty Join us March 15-19, 2010 in Austin, Texas for the award-winning Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break. It's free, except for a $25 housing fee for those who need us to arrange housing for you. We will house you in a shared room with other spring breakers in either a hotel or dorm. You are responsible for your travel, food and other expenses, but the program and most of the housing costs are on us. The $25 housing fee is all you pay. * Recipient of the 2007 Campus Progress Award for "Action Campaign of the Year" * Featured on MTV"s TRL and "The Amazing Break" * Workshops on Grassroots Organizing, Organizing Demonstrations, Media Relations, Lobbying, the Death Penalty, and more Alternative Spring Breaks are designed to give college and high school students something more meaningful to do during their week off, rather than just spending time at the beach or sitting at home catching up on school work. The specific purpose of the Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break is to bring students together for five days of anti-death penalty activism, education and entertainment. This is the place to be if you want to become a part of the next generation of human rights leaders. Go to the beach to change your state of mind for a week, come here to change the world forever We will provide participants with workshops led by experienced, knowledgeable presenters who will teach them skills that they can use to go back home and set up new anti-death penalty student organizations or improve ones that may already exist. The skills participants will learn can also be used in other issues besides the death penalty. Students will gain valuable training and experience in grassroots organizing, lobbying, preparing a direct action and media relations. During the week, students will immediately put what they learn into action during activities such as a Death Penalty Issues Lobby Day and a Protest Day. There will be opportunities to write press releases, speak in public, meet with legislators or their aides, and conceive and carry out a direct action.
Start: 03/15/2010 12:14pm
End: 03/19/2010 12:14pm
The number of attendees is not limited.
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Protest 200th Execution Under Current Texas Governor Rick Perry
Visit http://www.protest200executions.com.
On June 2, 2009, the 200th execution under Texas Governor Rick Perry is scheduled to take place. Since he became governor of Texas in December 2000, Perry has signed more execution orders than any other governor in U.S. history.
Terry Hankins is scheduled to be the 200th person executed under Rick Perry. If he or anyone scheduled before him receives a stay of execution, then the 200th person will be the next person on the list. We hope everyone receives a stay!
The Texas anti-death penalty community asks people around the world to focus your attention on Texas and join us in protesting the 200th execution carried out under Rick Perry. Altogether, Texas has executed 436 people since 1982, including 152 under former Texas Governor George W. Bush.
How you can protest the 200th execution under Texas Governor Rick Perry
Visit http://www.protest200executions.com for updates.
1) On the day of the 200th execution, call Governor Perry at 512-462-1782 and tell him your opinion on the death penalty. If you live in the U.S., you can use his the form on his website to email him. We suggest you both call him and email him. If you live outside the U.S., you can fax him at (512) 463-1849 or send him a letter in the postal mail. We would like to hand deliver letters to him, so please send your letter to the address below and we will deliver it to Rick Perry: You can send us your letter to Perry for us to deliver whether you live in the U.S. or another country.
Texas Moratorium Network
3616 Far West Blvd, Suite 117, Box 251
Austin, Texas 7831
2) Attend a protest in your city either on the day of the 200th execution or sometime before. There are protests already planned. If a protest is not scheduled yet in your city, you can organize a protest. If you live outside the U.S., organize a protest at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Send us a photo or video of your protest by email and we will post it on this website and on YouTube. Or you can upload your photos and videos yourself to our social networking site or directly to our group on YouTube. If your organization is planning a protest, please let us know so that we can list your protest on this site.
3) Sign the petition and add your name to the list of people who are raising their voices to protest the 200th execution under Texas Governor Rick Perry.
4) Donate a symbolic 200 cents towards helping us organize against the Texas death penalty. That is one penny for every execution under Rick Perry. We are asking everyone to donate $2, which is the equivalent of 200 pennies. You are welcome to donate more if you can afford it, but everyone can afford to donate $2.
The artwork at the top of www.protest200executions.com is by German artist Jasmin Hilmer and represents the isolation of Texas in the world community. While most of the rest of the world, including all of Europe, have turned their backs on the use of capital punishment, Texas continues to execute people at a shocking rate.
This campaign is sponsored by Texas Moratorium Network, Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement, Campaign to End the Death Penalty - Austin, Students Against the Death Penalty, Texas Death Penalty Education and Resource Center, Abolish the Death Penalty Project on Amazee. If your organization would also like to be a sponsor, email us at admin@texasmoratorium.org or call 512-961-6389.
On June 2, 2009, the 200th execution under Texas Governor Rick Perry is scheduled to take place. Since he became governor of Texas in December 2000, Perry has signed more execution orders than any other governor in U.S. history.
Terry Hankins is scheduled to be the 200th person executed under Rick Perry. If he or anyone scheduled before him receives a stay of execution, then the 200th person will be the next person on the list. We hope everyone receives a stay!
The Texas anti-death penalty community asks people around the world to focus your attention on Texas and join us in protesting the 200th execution carried out under Rick Perry. Altogether, Texas has executed 436 people since 1982, including 152 under former Texas Governor George W. Bush.
How you can protest the 200th execution under Texas Governor Rick Perry
Visit http://www.protest200executions.com for updates.
1) On the day of the 200th execution, call Governor Perry at 512-462-1782 and tell him your opinion on the death penalty. If you live in the U.S., you can use his the form on his website to email him. We suggest you both call him and email him. If you live outside the U.S., you can fax him at (512) 463-1849 or send him a letter in the postal mail. We would like to hand deliver letters to him, so please send your letter to the address below and we will deliver it to Rick Perry: You can send us your letter to Perry for us to deliver whether you live in the U.S. or another country.
Texas Moratorium Network
3616 Far West Blvd, Suite 117, Box 251
Austin, Texas 7831
2) Attend a protest in your city either on the day of the 200th execution or sometime before. There are protests already planned. If a protest is not scheduled yet in your city, you can organize a protest. If you live outside the U.S., organize a protest at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Send us a photo or video of your protest by email and we will post it on this website and on YouTube. Or you can upload your photos and videos yourself to our social networking site or directly to our group on YouTube. If your organization is planning a protest, please let us know so that we can list your protest on this site.
3) Sign the petition and add your name to the list of people who are raising their voices to protest the 200th execution under Texas Governor Rick Perry.
4) Donate a symbolic 200 cents towards helping us organize against the Texas death penalty. That is one penny for every execution under Rick Perry. We are asking everyone to donate $2, which is the equivalent of 200 pennies. You are welcome to donate more if you can afford it, but everyone can afford to donate $2.
The artwork at the top of www.protest200executions.com is by German artist Jasmin Hilmer and represents the isolation of Texas in the world community. While most of the rest of the world, including all of Europe, have turned their backs on the use of capital punishment, Texas continues to execute people at a shocking rate.
This campaign is sponsored by Texas Moratorium Network, Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement, Campaign to End the Death Penalty - Austin, Students Against the Death Penalty, Texas Death Penalty Education and Resource Center, Abolish the Death Penalty Project on Amazee. If your organization would also like to be a sponsor, email us at admin@texasmoratorium.org or call 512-961-6389.
Upcoming Scheduled Executions in Texas
To protest these executions, call Governor Perry (512) 463-1782 or email Perry at http://www.governor.state.tx.us/contact Scheduled Executions in Texas Michael Sigala March 2 Joshua Maxwell March 11 Hank Skinner March 24 (Strong Innocence Claim) Website for Hank Skinner http://hankskinner.org Alix Franklin March 30 Samuel Bustamante April 20 William Berkley April 22 John Alba May 25 Johathan Green June 30 Michael Perry July 1
Links to Stop Executions
* Texas Moratorium Network
* Justice for All?: Artists Reflect on the Death Penalty
* Texas Death Penalty Education and Resource Center
* Texas Students Against the Death Penalty
* Students Against the Death Penalty
* Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break
* Save Jeff Wood
* Kids Against the Death Penalty
* Campaign to End the Death Penalty
* Hands Off Cain
* Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights
* Journey of Hope ...From Violence to Healing
* Sister Helen Prejean
* World Coalition Against the Death Penalty
* Death Penalty Information Center
* Amnesty International
* Lifespark a Swiss organization founded in 1993.
* Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty
* ALIVE - Koalition gegen die Todesstrafe e.V.
* Initiative gegen die Todesstrafe/German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (GCADP)
* Abolition U.K
* Justice for All?: Artists Reflect on the Death Penalty
* Texas Death Penalty Education and Resource Center
* Texas Students Against the Death Penalty
* Students Against the Death Penalty
* Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break
* Save Jeff Wood
* Kids Against the Death Penalty
* Campaign to End the Death Penalty
* Hands Off Cain
* Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights
* Journey of Hope ...From Violence to Healing
* Sister Helen Prejean
* World Coalition Against the Death Penalty
* Death Penalty Information Center
* Amnesty International
* Lifespark a Swiss organization founded in 1993.
* Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty
* ALIVE - Koalition gegen die Todesstrafe e.V.
* Initiative gegen die Todesstrafe/German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (GCADP)
* Abolition U.K
Death Penalty News
Ex-Army recruiter on deat ...
03/17/2010 12:54pm
A federal appeals court on Tuesday refused the case of a former Army recruiter on Texas death row for the slaying of a Sudanese woman in Fort Worth eight years ago.
Kirkland pleads for mercy
03/17/2010 08:16am
Convicted serial killer Anthony Kirkland spoke quietly, tears welling in his eyes but never staining his cheeks, as he pleaded with jurors Tuesday to spare his life.
Court: Chicago man in ter ...
03/17/2010 04:01am
A Chicago man accused of scouting out the Indian city of Mumbai before the 2008 terrorist attack that left 166 people dead and plotting to attack a Danish newspaper has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges, a court said Tuesday.
Ohio execution set in cas ...
03/16/2010 11:26pm
Attorneys for Lawrence Reynolds claimed Ohio's three-drug lethal injection cocktail was 'flawed,' so it became the first state to use a one-drug method.
Nigerian sentenced to dea ...
03/16/2010 07:01pm
Osonwa Okey Noberts, a Nigerian who was charged with drug trafficking, stands trial with his girlfriend, Zhang Dongxiang, and two others accused of the same crime at Dongguan Intermediate People's Court last June in Dongguan, Guangdong province.[Fang Guangming/China Daily] SHENZHEN: A Nigerian man received the death penalty Tuesday in Dongguan, ...
More News
Iran: Death penalty, A st ...
03/17/2010 12:10am
FIDH published a 60-page comprehensive report on the death penalty in the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) in April 2009. Entitled "Iran: Death Penalty, A State Terror Policy", it covered the various aspects of the topic including: domestic laws, international legal framework, execution of juvenile offenders, religious and ethnic minorities, and methods of execution. According to the report, there are over 20 main categories of offences, some of them with several sub-categories, in the IRI, which are punishable by the death penalty. The majority of those "offences" are certainly not among "the most serious crimes." Some others should not be considered as "offences" at all. In conclusion, FIDH issued a wide set of recommendations to the IRI and the international community. Among others, it recommended the adoption of an immediate moratorium on executions in light of the serious shortcomings of the guarantees of due process and fair trial.Unfortunately, the IRI has continued to be out of step with the rising trend of abolition of the death penalty worldwide. While an increasing number of countries each year join the list of abolitionists, the IRI persistently ranks 2nd, next to China, regarding the absolute number of executions, and first regarding the per capita executions in the world. Even China seemed to show signs of heeding the international calls when its Supreme Court urged judges to limit the use of death penalty to those convicted of "the most serious crimes" in February 2010. Furthermore, the IRI has continued with the practice of executing juvenile offenders and issuing stoning sentences.The number of executions in the IRI increased from 346 in 2008 to 388 in 2009. Furthermore, the IRI executed no less than 5 juvenile offenders in 2009, ranking 1st as compared with Saudi Arabia that executed 2 juvenile offenders in the same year. 1 man was stoned to death in Rasht in March 2009 and stoning sentences continued to be issued. 2 lists of political prisoners on death row have recently appeared, one with 65 names and another with 56 names.Post-election developmentsIn the aftermath of the vastly disputed outcome of the 12 June presidential election, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner, thus triggering protests by millions of people; tens of people were killed, thousands were arrested (more than 3,000 persons currently remain in detention in connection with the post-election protests and their number is on the rise), many of whom were tortured and raped in prison, and a number of them were executed. In the span of 50 days after the election, from 12 June to the Presidential Inauguration Day on 5 August, no less than 115 executions were recorded. For the 1st time, some people were charged with moharebeh for having taken part in protests against fraud in elections.On 28 January 2010, two prisoners, Arash Rahmanipour (20) and Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani (46) were the first to be executed for election-related offences. However, they had both been arrested several months before the 12 June election and deceived to make false confessions in exchange for release or mitigation of their sentences. Rahmanipour told his lawyer later that the officials had brought his pregnant sister to him and threatened to torture her if he refused to make the desired confession. According to Rahmanipour's lawyer, many of the actions he had been accused of related to the time when he was under 18 years of age. It was announced on the same day that 9 others were also facing the death sentence on similar charges.The Iranian judiciary and the legislators of the applicable IPC have narrowly interpreted the Shiite sharia to apply the concepts of moharebeh and mofsed fel-arz to certain opponents of the government. Moharebeh is an Arabic term that literally means "fighting"; hence a mohareb is a fighter or warrior. Under the conventional sharia provisions as well as the IPC, strictly speaking, a mohareb is somebody who uses arms to terrorise the people. The IPC even stipulates that a person who fails to create fear by using arms is not a mohareb (Article 183). The sharia provisions have thus been overstretched to apply those concepts to members and supporters of political organisations and groups that have waged armed uprising against the Islamic government, even though they personally may not have used arms.The most dramatic turn since the onset of post-election unrests has come with the decision to charge the post-election protestors with moharebeh and to execute them. This was clearly indicated following the execution of the 2 political prisoners on 28 January, after which the secretary-general of the Guardian Council, Ayatollah Jannati, praised the judiciary and called for more executions. This blatantly confirms that there is a political will to ignore standards of fair trial and due process and use the death penalty to terrorise the peaceful protestors not to pursue their demand for free and democratic elections, freedom of political prisoners, freedom of press, speech, assembly and association.Collective executionsThe practice of collective executions described in the FIDH report of April 2009 has been continued in Iran in the past few months. There have been several group executions since the publication of the FIDH report, e.g. 8 drug-related offenders in Taybad Prison, in the north-east, on 2 May 2009; 14 on 2 July; 20 on drug-related charges at Rajaieshahr Prison near the city of Karaj on 4 July; 24 other drugs-related offenders in the same prison on 30 July; and 13 members of an ethnic opposition group in Zahedan Prison on 14 July.Religious minoritiesAhl-e Haq: Persecution of religious minorities went on unabated since the publication of the FIDH report on the death penalty in April 2009. Some members of Ahl-e Haq, a Sufi sect, have been sentenced to death. Mehdi Qasemzadeh, arrested with some other members of the sect, who had been sitting in prison since 2004, was executed on charge of moharebeh at the end of February 2009. Yunes Aqayan who was also a member of the same religious group and has been sitting in prison since 2004 was found guilty of fighting God and sentenced to death. His sentence was upheld in 2005. At some point in July 2009, there were reports that his death sentence had been implemented, but those reports could not be confirmed.Baha'is: Persecution of the Baha'i minority has also continued. Seven members of the Bahai faith, responsible for the Baha'i community's religious and administrative affairs in Iran, who were arrested in March and May 2008, have ever since been under the threat of death sentence. They were told in May 2009 that they were facing charge of mofsed fel-arz (being corrupt on earth). After several postponements, the first session of their trial was held on 12 January 2010. The indictment accused them of "spying for foreigners", "propaganda against the system", "cooperation with Israel", passing classified documents to foreigners", "assembly and conspiracy with intent to act against the national security" and "corruption on earth." All those accusations and charges could carry the death punishment.Followers of the Bahai faith have consistently been accused of spying for Israel and plotting against the regime, in a move to deprive them of their right to practise freely their religion. Most recently, officials have accused the Bahai community of involvement in post-election unrest to overthrow the Islamic regime. A deputy minister of intelligence even reported that 13-14 followers of the Bahai faith had been arrested for active involvement in unrests on 27 December 2009. The Tehran prosecutor alleged that weapons and bullets had been found in their homes.Ethnic minoritiesEthnic groups have continued to be targeted in death penalty cases.Kurds: No less than 21 Kurdish political prisoners are currently on death row. Most recently, two young Kurdish political prisoners were executed. On 11 November, Ehsan Fattahiyan, 28, charged with moharebeh through membership of the Kumala, a Kurdish opposition group, was executed in Sanandaj after the appeal court overturned his10-year imprisonment sentence issued by the court of first instance. Another young Kurdish man, Fassih Yassamani, 27, was executed in Khoy, north-western Iran, on 6 January 2010, on charge of moharebeh for membership of the Free Life Party of Kurdistan.Baluchis: Members of the Baluch ethnic minority have also frequently been victims of executions. Sizable numbers of Baluch men have been executed after unfair trials on charge of moharebeh allegedly for membership of an armed opposition group, Peoples Resistance Movement of Iran (formerly known as Jondollah). 3 Baluch people charged with moharebeh were reportedly executed in public in Zahedan on 3 May 2009, in connection with a bombing in the city only 2 days after the incident which in itself demonstrates that they did not benefit from a fair trial, but were rather victims of an expeditious revengeful procedure. Other members of the Baluch minority, who were executed on the same charge, included 3 people on 30 May, 2 on 6 June, and 13 on 14 July, all in Zahedan.Arabs: Members of the Arab ethnic group in Khuzestan have also been facing the force of repression. It was reported in October 2009 that 7 members of the community were at imminent risk of execution for "acting against national security" and killing a Shia cleric.Juvenile offendersAs noted above, no less than 5 juvenile offenders have been executed in Iran in 2009. In addition to Molla Gol-Hassan, whose case was already reported in the FIDH report of April 2009, four others were executed later. They were Delara Darabi (f), executed on 1 May 2009, on charge of murder; Ali Jafari, on 20 May; Behnood Shoja'ei, on charge of murder on 11 October; and Mosleh Zamani on 17 December 2009 on charge of raping his girlfriend even though she consistently denied it. All were 17 at the time of the alleged crimes, but had been kept in prison for several years and executed when they were older. This is a common practice in the IRI. In addition, Arash Rahmanipour (see Post-election developments above) may also be considered as a possible juvenile offender.StoningOne man, Vali Azad, was stoned to death in Rasht, northern Iran, in March 2009. As in the case of Abdollah Farivar Moqaddam, two other people who had previously been sentenced to stoning were executed by hanging: Afsaneh R. (f) and Rahim Mohammadi. At the time of writing, at least eight women and three men were facing the stoning sentence. The women were: Iran Eskandari, Khayrieh Valania, Ashraf Kalhori, Kobra Babaei (wife of Rahim Mohammadi), Sakineh Mohammadi (in Tabriz, her appeal has been turned down twice), Hashemi-Nasab, M. Kh., Sorimeh Sajjadi (30, in Orumieh, mother of two). The three men were: Buali Janfeshani (32, in Orumieh, father of 1 child), Mohammad Ali Navid-Khomami and Naqi Ahmadi (sentenced in June 2008).Domestic legal frameworkThe Islamic Penal Code has not been amended since the FIDH report was published in April 2009. Nevertheless, invoking Article 85 of the Constitution, majles (parliament) empowered its Judicial and Legal Affairs Committee to pass the draft bill, with 737 articles and 204 notes, to replace the applicable IPC. The House voted on 16 December 2009 to have the new law implemented for five years on trial basis. However, the Guardian Council, having examined it for discrepancies with the Constitution and the sharia, returned it to the House for amendments to no less than 80 Articles at the end of January 2010. The Guardian Council noted in conclusion of its opinion that "there are still numerous religious flaws and other ambiguities in the bill, which will be communicated later." At the time of writing, it is not clear yet how long it will take for the new bill to become law and replace the applicable IPC.International legal frameworkUnder the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Iran is a State party, member states may use the death penalty only for the most serious crimes, meaning intentional crimes with lethal or other extremely grave consequences. The charges and offences alleged by the Iranian judicial authorities against the post-election protestors, even if proved, do not amount to the most serious crimes."Article 18 (1) of the ICCPR states: "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion" On the other hand, the Iranian Constitution guarantees equality of all people regardless of their ethnic origin, language and race.As a state party to both the ICCPR and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Iran has undertaken not to execute juvenile offenders.The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child urged the IRI to suspend immediately the imposition and execution of all forms of torture, and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, such as amputation, flogging or stoning, for crimes committed by persons under 18.Conclusion and recommendationsThe Islamic Republic of Iran clearly violates its international human rights obligations as far as the application of the death penalty is concerned.Recommendations to the IRI government:- Stop execution of juvenile offenders- Stop execution of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience- Stop using the death penalty as a tool of repression against members of religious and ethnic minorities- Stop cruel and inhuman punishments such as stoning- As a 1st step toward its abolition, limit the use of death penalty to the most serious crimes as defined by international conventions- Join the increasing number of countries worldwide and issue a moratorium on executions with a view to abolish the death penalty.Recommendations to the international community:We renew our urgent call for the international community to establish a monitoring mechanism concerning the human rights situation in Iran.Source: International Federation for Human Rights, March 16, 2010It's not about what they did. It's about what we do.
Ohio: Lawrence Reynolds J ...
03/16/2010 04:54pm
Lawrence Reynolds (pictured) died from an overdose this morning -- one legally administered by the state of Ohio.The convicted killer from Akron, who unsuccessfully tried to take his own life with an overdose of a prescription medication on March 7, was declared dead at 10:27 this morning at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility near Lucasville.The cause of death: a large, intravenous dose of thiopental sodium, a powerful anesthetic.Reynolds, 43, was convicted and sentenced to death for the Jan. 11, 1994, slaying of 67-year-old Loretta Foster, a widow who was one his neighbors in Cuyahoga Falls, an Akron suburb. Reynolds tried to sexually assault Foster before beating her with a wooden tent pole and strangling her.Reynolds' suicide attempt and brief hospitalization prompted Gov. Ted Strickland to use his executive clemency power to grant a 1-week reprieve.Before the execution, Reyolds gave a last statement. He said, "I came in like a lion and go out like a lamb. Erin and Emma will forever and always hold the heart of the lion. To my brothers, I hope they will never have to walk these 15 steps I walk today. I have tried to bring attention to the futility and flagrantly flawed system we have today. Stop the maddness."At the conclusion of the statement, Patty Solomon, the granddaughter of the victim, said, "Yeah, yeah, stop it now."He was the 4th person executed -- and the 3rd this year -- using Ohio's 1-drug protocol.Reynolds is the 36th condemned inmate to be put to death in the state since capital punishment was resumed there in 1999.Reynolds becomes the 10th condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the USA and the 1198th overall since the nation resumed executions on January 17, 1977.Sources: Columbus Dispatch, Rick Halperin, March 16, 2010Ohio: Execution After Suicide AttemptA death row inmate who tried to kill himself last week by overdosing on pills was executed Tuesday for robbing and strangling his neighbor in 1994. Lawrence Reynolds Jr., 43, was executed by lethal injection at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility nine days after guards found him unconscious in his cell. Ernie Sanders, a spiritual adviser who met with Mr. Reynolds in prison, said he wanted to die alone, not in the death chamber. “He just didn’t want his last act of life to be what he considered to be a sideshow or a circus,” Mr. Sanders said.Source: AP, March 16, 2010It's not about what they did. It's about what we do.
Taiwan: New justice minis ...
03/16/2010 03:03pm
The person who succeeds Wang Ching-feng as minister of justice should make clear his or her stance on capital punishment.On the surface, Wang stepped down because of her refusal to execute inmates on death row, but she was actually forced to bow to the public sentiment that criminals should be punished as a reprisal and that the death penalty is a guarantor of social order.But why are there so many states in the world that have scrapped capital punishment? Are they putting more emphasis on the right of the criminals than of the victims? Taiwan was highly praised in the international community after it began moving on the path of phasing out the penalty despite changes in government.Will the new justice minister set back this movement or try to convince the public of the need for its abolishment? Will the new minister sign the execution orders of the 44 inmates on death row immediately and all together after taking office? President Ma told his ministers to do their duties based on the law, which should include postponing the execution of the convicts when required by the law.Taiwan has already incorporated into its law the U.N. Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which entitles inmates on death row to seek pardon or commutation of the sentence. All 44 convicts have appealed for commutation, but existing law is silent on how such appeals should be handled. Is this a reason to execute the victims? Taiwan's constitutional court has ruled twice on the issue of death penalty, but both rulings were handed down many years ago and the reasons they used to justify the death penalty are outdated, especially since Taiwan has adopted the U.N. Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.Wang Ching-feng's resignation also highlighted the government's negligence in taking care of the victims of the crimes. The government can help victims get rid of their desire for revenge by helping them emerge from the shadow of crimes and regain their feet.What we are most worried about is that the rulers would rather see the victims resent the criminals and support the government's crackdown on crime rather than use resources to take care of them.Source: Focus Taiwan, March 16, 2010It's not about what they did. It's about what we do.
U.S. Supreme Court's Just ...
03/16/2010 01:35pm
Justice John Paul Stevens (pictured), the leader of the U.S. Supreme Court's liberal wing, told the New Yorker in an interview that he will decide in early April whether he will retire at the end of the court's current term.Stevens, the court's oldest justice at 89, told the magazine he has his "options open." Although he has hired only one law clerk for the nine-month term that will start in October, Stevens said three former clerks had agreed to work for him again should he decide to stay on the court for another term.He said he will certainly step down before President Barack Obama's term expires in January 2013. Stevens told the New Yorker's Jeffrey Toobin that he has "great admiration" for the president."You can say I will retire within the next 3 years," Stevens said. "I'm sure of that."Interviewed on March 8, Stevens said he would make up his mind in about a month.The 9-member court's current term is scheduled to end in late June. Justices typically announce their retirement near the end of a term so that a successor can be seated by October.Stevens was appointed to the court in 1975 by President Gerald Ford. He supports gay and abortion rights and limits on government support for religion. He is the only justice to say the death penalty was unconstitutional.He has shown few signs of slowing down, playing tennis regularly and writing a 90-page dissent when the court in January struck down restrictions on corporate campaign spending.Source: Bloomberg News, March 16, 2010It's not about what they did. It's about what we do.
Ex-Ohio death-row inmate ...
03/16/2010 01:00am
Prosecutors withheld evidence in killing, judges had ruled.CLEVELAND - A former Ohio Death Row inmate is a free man after a judge dismissed a murder charge against him in the 1988 stabbing death of a man found dead in a brook in a Cleveland park.Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Joan Synenberg ordered Joe D'Ambrosio released without conditions Friday, two days after a federal judge ruled he cannot be retried because a key witness has died. The state is appealing that decision.Several judges have ruled that D'Ambrosio likely would not have been convicted if prosecutors had not improperly withheld from defense attorneys evidence that could have exonerated him."Mr. D'Ambrosio, you are free," Synenberg said, after noting that prosecutors had repeatedly tried to turn her courtroom into a "circus.""Although perhaps not swift, justice did prevail," she said.D'Ambrosio, 48, spent more than 21 years incarcerated for the death of Tony Klann, whose body was found in Rockefeller Park's Doan Brook on Sept. 24, 1988, by a jogger. He was released on house arrest a year ago pending retrial and has denied the crime.After Friday's court hearing, D'Ambrosio hugged a supporter in court, then had an electronic monitoring bracelet removed from his ankle at a probation office.A second defendant, Michael Keenan, also was convicted and remains on Death Row pending appeal.A third man, Edward Espinoza, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter and testified against the other men. He served 12 years in prison, was released in 2001 and died last year.U.S. District Judge Kate O'Malley ruled on Wednesday that D'Ambrosio could not be given a fair trial because he would be unable to cross-examine and otherwise challenge Espinoza's story with the evidence that had been withheld.O'Malley had overturned D'Ambrosio's conviction in 2006 and, in 2008, ordered him to be released unless prosecutors retried.She had expunged his record in April and, before learning of Espinoza's death said he could still be retried.Source: AP, Monday, March 8, 2010It's not about what they did. It's about what we do.
Death Penalty News from TMN
Wednesday's Schedule for ...
03/17/2010 09:00am
Below is the schedule of events for the second day of the 2010 Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break, Wednesday, March 17. You may come to all the events or just individual sessions. Everyone is welcome. You do not need to register, just show up for the events. It is all free.It starts at noon on Wednesday. The location is the Jesse H. Jones Communication Center - CMA room 3.112 on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. CMA is on the corner of Whitis Avenue and Dean Keeton, (Google Map). The room is located on the entrance level of the building.Noon - 1:00 Media Workshop with Vincent Villano of Campus Progress. Workshop will give tips on communicating effectively with reporters, writing press releases, organizing press conferences and other topics. 1:00 - 2:00 PM Lobbying Workshop in preparation for next day's lobbying at capitol, with Alison Brock, Chief of Staff to Texas State Representative Sylvester Turner. 2:00 - 2:15 Break 2:15 - 3:15 “Art and Activism” with John Holbrook, photographer of Texas death row, whose work has been exhibited in the Europe and the U.S., including at the Texas Capitol in May 2009. A selection of John's photographs and other death penalty-themed artworks will be on display. John will talk about his experiences photographing people on Texas death row and his 17 years working as a private investigator on Texas capital murder cases. 3:15 - 3:30 Break 3:30 - 4:30 PM Campus Organizing and Coalition Building Workshop with Vincent Villano of Campus Progress. There’s so much more to working in coalition than inviting people to join you in your efforts. It’s hard work and requires skill, understanding and strategy, but the rewards for you, your partners, and your cause are endless (and fun!). Learn the importance of working in coalition, how to identify allies, how to engage non-traditional partners, where coalition building fits in with your campaign plan, and why it might be just what you need to take your issue campaign to the next level. 4:30- 5 PM Discussion of next day's press conference, lobbying visits and rally.· Dinner break (on your own) 7:00 Screen Printing Workshop with Garry Spitzer of CEDP, plus sign-making session for next day's rally. Screen printing is a method of applying images to signs and t-shirts. Free Time to enjoy AustinJoin us March 15-19, 2010 in Austin, Texas for the award-winning Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break. Special guests will be six innocent death row exoneress: Shujaa Graham, Curtis McCarty, Ron Keine, Derrick Jamison, Perry Cobb and Juan Melendez. They are attending alternative spring break to speak with participants about how innocent people can end up on death row. Altogether, the six exonerees attending the alternative spring break spent a total of about 65 years on death row for crimes they did not commit.
Alternative Spring Break: ...
03/16/2010 04:49pm
This blog post is written by James Tate, a student at the University of Texas at Dallas, for the Dallas Morning News. After finishing his undergraduate degree, he plans to attend law school and pursue a career in international humanitarian law. He also volunteers for the Innocence Project. His e-mail address is waylontate@gmail.com.I am a student at the University of Texas at Dallas, and upon receiving an email from a professor, I elected to spend my spring break at the University of Texas learning about the death penalty and its violations against human rights. The Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break is in its 5th year, and the momentum continues to build. The activities from this conference, that includes students from all over the country, has resulted in bringing awareness to the death penalty, sending a message of its injustice, and in some ways affected Texas legislation.Last night was the first time that all of the participants gathered. Guided to a small room in the Communications Building on the UT campus, the walls were decorated with signs reading "Stop the Death Penalty" and "30 Years of Blood on Our Hands". The diversity of the attendees surprised me. Every race and ethnicity, age, gender, and funny enough political affiliation was in attendance and it likened us to an ad for United Colors of Benetton. The emotions were varied. Students were quiet at first, nervously flipping through materials given to us as we entered the room. A large screen in the front of the room played a video of a mother at a rally whose son had been executed only days earlier. The silence gave way as we were each asked to give an "ice breaker" and tell where we were from and our reasoning for coming. A young student had flown in from upstate New York. She had previously worked for Amnesty International and would rather spend her spring break "making a difference." Another was a Chicago native who is studying piano performance at the University of Houston. She is eager to help in any avenue of justice and plans to attend law school after completing her Bachelors.I assume I was naive to the complexity of this conference. I had originally thought my days would be filled with information sessions loaded with details and statistics pertaining to the death penalty. I figured there would be guest speakers and workshops of how to handle the question of whether it is the right of the State to execute, but I hadn't given much thought to the human side of the situation. After a brief introduction to the agenda for the next four days, the temperature was immediately turned up. We received a call from Stanley Howard, a 47 year-old black man who has been incarcerated for more than half of his life. Stanley shared his story and what it is truly like to be on death row. He belongs to a group of men that were forced into confessions through torture by Chicago's Area 2 detectives known as the "Death Row 10". We were introduced to five exonerees who had all been on death row awaiting the inevitable. Each story uniquely compelling, gave insight to how the justice system had not only failed them, but had nearly killed them.I was expecting to hear an array of stories claiming innocence and injustice. Such existed, but by no means was this the focus. The exonerees were more interested in conveying to us what their lives on death row had done to their families. Being on death row "killed both of my parents," said Derrick Jamison, a man who served on death row for 17 years to be exonerated only hours before his scheduled execution.A day that started with nervous anticipation and eagerness to learn ended with a human approach to the question at hand. I have, for as long as I can remember, been opposed to the death penalty. I have never, however, been privy to have a conversation with someone living on death row. Debating the issue of the death penalty is only half of the issue. When given the opportunity to make the situation personal and make a human connection to someone who has to live this reality, the sentiment felt changes profoundly. I know now that I made the right decision in attending this conference. I look forward to what follows.
Tuesday's Schedule at Ant ...
03/16/2010 10:50am
Below is the schedule of events for the second day of the 2010 Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break, Tuesday, March 16. You may come to all the events or just individual sessions. Everyone is welcome. You do not need to register, just show up for the events. It is all free.It starts at noon on Tuesday. The location is the Jesse H. Jones Communication Center - CMA room 3.112 on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. CMA is on the corner of Whitis Avenue and Dean Keeton, (Google Map). The room is located on the entrance level of the building.Noon to 1 PM: "Religious Views of the Death Penalty” presented by Steven Crimaldi, National Director of Dead Man Walking School Theater Project. Steven will also explain how students can get involved by doing a production of the play at their schools or in their communities.1- 2 PM: “Mental Illness and the Death Penalty”, presented by Susannah Sheffer of Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights. “Prevention, Not Execution”. Read background report: "DOUBLE TRAGEDIES: Victims Speak Out Against the Death Penalty for People with Severe Mental Illness". 2:15-2:30 Break 2:30-3:30 Mary K. Poirier, mitigation specialist from The McCallister Law Firm. Mary will discuss her work on capital trials in Texas and elsewhere and how activists can work with legal teams. A good mitigation specialist can save someone from being sentenced to death. 3:30-3:45 Break 3:45- 5:00 PM Bill Pelke, president of Journeyof Hope … From Violence to Healing will speak and present a film of the work of Journey of Hope ... From Violence to Healing. The film documents family members of murder victims speaking out against the death penalty. Also, we will introduce and hear comments from another special guest arriving Tuesday, death row exoneree Curtis McCarty who spent 19 years on death row in Oklahoma. 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Petition Signature Gathering Competition: We will divide into teams and fan out throughout Austin to collect signatures on a petition against the death penalty. People can collect signatures at places such as where SXSW events are taking place such as the convention center, outside certain bookstores or other stores if they allow it, on the streets in downtown Austin and wherever else the teams want to try. The team that collects the most petition signatures (with names, addresses, email addresses and possibly phone numbers) will win a prize of $100. Evening Free time on your own for enjoying Austin Join us March 15-19, 2010 in Austin, Texas for the award-winning Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break. Special guests will be six innocent death row exoneress: Shujaa Graham, Curtis McCarty, Ron Keine, Derrick Jamison, Perry Cobb and Juan Melendez. They are attending alternative spring break to speak with participants about how innocent people can end up on death row. Altogether, the six exonerees attending the alternative spring break spent a total of about 65 years on death row for crimes they did not commit.
Monday's Schedule for Ant ...
03/15/2010 05:16am
Below is the schedule of events for the first day of the 2010 Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break, Monday, March 15. You may come to all the events or just individual sessions. Everyone is welcome. You do not need to register, just show up for the events. It is all free.Monday, March 15 (Jesse H. Jones Communication Center - CMA room 3.112 on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. CMA is on the corner of Whitis Avenue and Dean Keeton, Google Map ) 4:30-5 PM: Introduction to the Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break 5:00-6:00 PM "Overview of the Death Penalty Issue" with Brian Evans from Washington, D.C. office of Amnesty International USA’s Death Penalty Abolition Campaign 6- 6:30 “Live from Death Row” - Telephone Call from a person on death row, organized by Campaign to End the Death Penalty – Austin Chapter 6:30- 7 PM Snacks and socializing 7:00- 8:30 PM Panel discussion with death row exonerees Shujaa Graham (3 years on California death row), Perry Cobb (8 years on Illinois death row), Derrick Jamison (17 years on death row in Ohio), plus family members of people on death row, Delia Perez Meyer, Terri Been and Crystal Halprin. Delia’s brother Louis Perez is on Texas Death Row. Terri’s brother Jeff Wood is on Texas Death Row. Crystal’s husband Randy Halprin is on Texas Death Row. The Law of Parties will be one topic covered by Terri and Crystal. Evening Time on your own for enjoying Austin, including the SXSW film festival. Join us March 15-19, 2010 in Austin, Texas for the award-winning Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break. It starts at 4:30 PM on Monday, March 15. The location is the Jesse H. Jones Communication Center - CMA room 3.112 on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. CMA is on the corner of Whitis Avenue and Dean Keeton, (Google Map). The room is located on the entrance level of the building.Special guests will be six innocent death row exoneress: Shujaa Graham, Curtis McCarty, Ron Keine, Derrick Jamison, Perry Cobb and Juan Melendez. They are attending alternative spring break to speak with participants about how innocent people can end up on death row. Altogether, the six exonerees attending the alternative spring break spent a total of about 65 years on death row for crimes they did not commit.
Daily Guest Blogging for ...
03/14/2010 07:29am
James Tate, who is attending the 2010 Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break, will be guest blogging daily for the Dallas Morning News' Texas Death Penalty blog during the alternative spring break.James is a student at The University of Texas at Dallas. Join us March 15-19, 2010 in Austin, Texas for the award-winning Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break. It starts at 4:30 PM on Monday, March 15. The location is the Jesse H. Jones Communication Center - CMA room 3.112 on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. CMA is on the corner of Whitis Avenue and Dean Keeton, (Google Map). The room is located on the entrance level of the building.Special guests will be six innocent death row exoneress: Shujaa Graham, Curtis McCarty, Ron Keine, Derrick Jamison, Perry Cobb and Juan Melendez. They are attending alternative spring break to speak with participants about how innocent people can end up on death row. Altogether, the six exonerees attending the alternative spring break spent a total of about 65 years on death row for crimes they did not commit.It's free, except for a $25 housing fee for those who need us to arrange housing for you. We will house you in a shared room with other spring breakers in either a hotel or dorm. You are responsible for your travel, food and other expenses, but the program and most of the housing costs are on us. The $25 housing fee is all you pay. Register here.Alternative Spring Breaks are designed to give college and high school students something more meaningful to do during their week off, rather than just spending time at the beach or sitting at home catching up on school work. The specific purpose of the Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break is to bring students together for five days of anti-death penalty activism, education and fun. This is the place to be if you want to become a part of the next generation of human rights leaders. Go to the beach to change your state of mind for a week, come here to change the world foreverWe will provide participants with workshops led by experienced, knowledgeable presenters who will teach them skills that they can use to go back home and set up new anti-death penalty student organizations or improve ones that may already exist. The skills participants will learn can also be used in other issues besides the death penalty. Students will gain valuable training and experience in grassroots organizing, lobbying, preparing a public rally and media relations. During the week, students will immediately put what they learn into action during activities such as a Death Penalty Issues Lobby Day and a public rally at the Texas Capitol. There will be opportunities to write press releases, speak in public, meet with legislators or their aides, and carry out a public rally.
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