Slow access to justice has made it impossible to eradicate terrorism. In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF provided a number of recommendations for improving the situation of Pakistan’s religious minorities. Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. Pakistan. Seven states carried out executions. Most executions took place in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Egypt – in that order. "Prolonged solitary confinement may well amount to torture, or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment," the experts said. 18 November 2020 South Asia: Authorities must urgently protect sanitation workers risking their lives on the COVID-19 frontlines This includes about 1,800 death sentences and 520 executions from December 2014 to August 2019. Report. Mr. Hafeez's case has gone through lengthy trials in Multan, with the prosecution failing to provide convincing evidence of his guilt, they pointed out, while also noting that “some documentary evidence submitted to the court was never subjected to independent forensic review despite allegations it had been fabricated, and that a lawyer representing Mr. Hafeez in 2014, Rashid Rehman, was murdered and the killers have not been brought to justice”. Botswana was the only country in Southern Africa to carry out an execution in 2019, defying the regional trend towards abolition of the death penalty. Mr. Hafeez was arrested on 13 March 2013 and charged for allegedly making blasphemous remarks during lectures and on his Facebook account. Kazakhstan abolishes death penalty . "In the light of this ruling, the guilty verdict against Mr. Hafeez is a travesty of justice, and we condemn the death sentence imposed on him”, spelled out the independent experts. 08/10/2019. Hearing the treason case against former military dictator retired General Pervez Musharraf, a special court in Islamabad sentenced the former president to death for imposing emergency in Pakistan on 3 November 2007. 3. P akistan’s politics often starts a morning with bad news, but that was not the case on 17 December 2019. Carrying out the sentence would amount to an arbitrary killing – UN experts. Punjab executes more people . They expressed their serious concern that blasphemy charges are still being brought against people “legitimately exercising their rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and expression". Fast News. This Code provides explanations, definition, and punishment for all type of offenses. Pakistan arrests key militant of a group behind Mumbai attacks . Even though a moratorium on capital punishement had been in place since 2003, courts in the Central Asian country had continued to … Death penalty for murder, aggravated murder, drug smuggling, terrorism, arms trafficking, armed robbery resulting in death, certain military offenses (e.g. Gunmen kill Hazara coal miners in southwest Pakistan . For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service, Pak National Assembly Speaker tests COVID-19 positive, Want the âPerfect Hot Waterâ for daily needs? Pakistan carried out 14 executions, Singapore carried out 2, and Bangladesh carried out 1. Thirty-three-year-old Junaid Hafeez, a lecturer at Bahauddin Zakariya University in Multan, was sentenced to death – despite last year’s landmark Supreme Court ruling in which Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi was tried and condemned to hang for blasphemy but was later acquitted. UN experts condemn death sentence handed down by court in #Pakistan to university lecturer Junaid Hafeez, who had been charged with #blasphemy.Learn more: https://t.co/WvjsnOQOEm, Moreover, they raised concerns in an urgent appeal to the Government over the legal merits of the case. The death penalty was also approved for terrorists. Beijing warns of retaliation as NYSE begins delisting Chinese telecom firms . Last updated on December 11, 2019. Earlier this year, IndiaSpend found that there was a 53 percent rise in death penalty sentences in India, from 121 in 2017 to 186 in 2018. 13 December 2020 Pakistan: Prisoners of the Pandemic: The right to health and COVID19 in Pakistan’s detention facilities Research Pakistan. The Pakistan Penal Code contains 27 different offenses punishable by death, including blasphemy, rape, sexual intercourse outside of marriage, assault on the modesty of women, and smuggling of drugs. As of December 2019, at least 17 people convicted of blasphemy were still on death row," the Human Rights Commission said in its report. Previously, the death penalty was banned in Pakistan and criminals were very confident that they can come out of jails after some time and again get involved in similar activities on a much larger scale. In the last 14 years, Pakistan has sentenced 4,500 people to death and executed around 821 people. Pakistan carried out 14 executions, Singapore carried out 2, and Bangladesh carried out 1. Story continues below advertisement . Death Penalty. This Code draws its origin from the Indian Penal Code, after several amendments from different governments in Pakistan, the Code is now a mixture of Islamic and English law. He has been in solitary confinement since his trial began in 2014, seriously affecting his mental and physical health. That’s the year when Pakistan lifted a moratorium on capital punishment following the massacre of mostly children at a school in Peshawar. ISLAMABAD, Dec 21 ― A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Saturday sentenced a liberal scholar and former university lecturer to death on blasphemy charges. The year 2019 is very crucial for Pakistan and Prime Minister Imran Khan, both on domestic and international fronts. Saturday, 21 Dec 2019 06:00 PM MYT. Insulting Islam’s Prophet Muhammad carries a mandatory death penalty in Pakistan, which is about 95 per cent Muslim. There were no messages by state functionaries nor calls made by political parties to reform the criminal justice system and end the near arbitrariness in the application of death penalty which, as a leading human rights activist Reema … Pakistan: 2019: 6+ n/a Hanging. Independent UN human rights experts condemned on Friday the death sentence of a university lecturer charged with blasphemy in Pakistan, calling the ruling "a travesty of justice". In Pakistan , a special tribunal tried and convicted the nation’s former leader, General Pervez Musharraf (pictured), of high treason and sentenced him to death. Botswana was the only country in Southern Africa to carry out an execution in 2019, defying the regional trend towards abolition of the death penalty. A large … China remained the world’s leading executioner – but the true extent of the use of the death penalty in China is unkn… Yet, "death penalty was awarded in at least 584 cases in 2019, while 15 people were executed, 12 of them in Punjab. ― Reuters pic . A police officer stands guard at the entrance of the Central Jail in Multan, Pakistan December 21, 2019. Many countries in Africa are now abolitionist de facto, meaning that they have not carried out an execution in over 10 years. No additional countries banned the death penalty in 2019 for the second year in a row, but Amnesty says that 142 countries have either abolished the death penalty in law or in practice. Date Number Since 1976 State Name Age Race Victim Race Method Drug Protocol Years From Sentence To Execution; 1/30/19: 1491: TX: Robert Jennings: 61: Black: 1 Black male: Lethal Injection: 1-drug (Pentobarbital) 29: 2/7/19: 1492: AL: … Pakistan is one of 56 countries worldwide who retain the use of the death penalty in law and practice. Additional amendments were unavoidable. the constitutional clause mandating the death penalty for blasphemy. Responding to the adoption of a resolution in Pakistan’s lower house of Parliament calling for public hangings of people convicted of the sexual abuse and murder of children, Amnesty International’s Deputy South Asia Director, Omar Waraich, said: “The sexual abuse and murder of children are among the most horrific crimes, but the death penalty is not a solution. Despite a rise in executions in some countries, global executions fell by 31% in 2018. Death penalty 2018: Dramatic fall in global executions Article by Amnesty International published on April 10th, 2019. Some 27 crimes carry the death sentence in Pakistan, including terrorism, rape and adultery. en es fr. Kazakhstan has abolished the death penalty, making permanent a nearly two-decade freeze on capital punishment in the Central Asian country, a statement on … "The death sentence imposed on Mr. Hafeez has no basis in either law or evidence, and therefore contravenes international law”, they continued, adding that “carrying out the sentence would amount to an arbitrary killing," they said. From 1967 to 2014, over 1,300 people have been accused of blasphemy, with Muslims constituting most of those accused. Twenty-two prisoners were executed in the United States in 2019. In comparison with past practice, an international rights group found thatEgypti… The universal fight for the abolition of the death penalty seems to be on the right way. Cromptonâs instant and storage water heaters are what you need, Sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in Pakistan during Ramzan, Companies go on hiring spree; job offers touch pre-Covid levels, Vietnam buys Indian rice for first time in decades: Report, Feud intensifies, BSY and Basanangouda Patil Yatnal trade angry words, With 2:1 verdict, SC clears Central Vista project, new Parliament, Worldâs worst internet shutdowns cost India $2.8 billion in 2020, Protein Rich Recipes which helps to increase protein levels in your body, Jute planters: Naturally crafted planters thatâll update your indoor decor, Pain relief balms that you should keep at home, Terms of Use and Grievance Redressal Policy. With support from HURIDOCS, Justice Project Pakistan launched their Death Penalty Database on 29 June 2019. "There seems to be a climate of fear among members of the judiciary handling this case, which may explain why at least seven judges were transferred during this lengthy trial", the UN experts concluded. (file), Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Iran: ‘Secret execution’ of champion wrestler ‘deeply disturbing’ – UN rights experts, US pardons Blackwater guards: An ‘affront to justice’ – UN experts, Iraq urged to investigate attacks on women human rights defenders, International Court of Justice orders Pakistan to review death penalty for Indian accused of spying. HRCP estimates that from January 2004 to August 2019, 5,084 death sentences were imposed across the entire court system. The death sentence was imposed by a district and sessions court in Multan on 21 December 2019. “We urge Pakistan's superior courts to promptly hear his appeal, overturn the death sentence and acquit him.". Since 2014, when Sisi became president, Egypt has been among the 10 countries with the highest numbers of annual executions, joining other notorious executors of the death penalty like China, Iran and Saudi Arabia. 5. 4. Amnesty International recorded 657 executions in 20 countries in 2019, a decrease of 5% compared to 2018 (at least 690). Powered by our web-based platform Uwazi, it brings together details about current death row prisoners and the 513 prisoners who have been executed since 2014. The independent experts are the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; and members of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Amnesty International published its annual report on death sentences and executions worldwide on 21 April 2020. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work. Death penalty in 2019: Facts and figures Article by Amnesty International published on April 22nd, 2020. The recommendations related to the blasphemy law included urging the Pakistani government to take the following actions: The use of the death penalty as a political weapon was on display in late December 2019 in an extraordinary series of four unrelated cases in Pakistan and the Middle East. Many countries in Africa are now abolitionist de facto, meaning that they have not carried out an execution in over 10 years. In Pakistan, it was business as usual and the day came and passed unnoticed. Special court hands death penalty to Pervez Musharraf | 17 Dec 2019 | Neo News | Perwez Musharaf Neo News with a slogan Pakistanio Ki Awaaz is … Pakistan’s Pervez Musharraf handed death penalty in treason case. International law permits the death penalty only in exceptional circumstances, and requires incontrovertible evidence of intentional murder, the experts noted. ♦ Receive daily updates directly in your inbox -, Only in exceptional circumstances and with incontrovertible evidence of intentional murder does international law permit the death penalty. Pakistan awarded death penalty to 584 people, 17 for blasphemy in 2019, NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD: Last year, Pakistan awarded death penalty to at least 584 people, out of which 17 were convicted for ", Copyright © 2021 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. Government to take the following actions: 08/10/2019 in that order stands guard at the of! Access to justice has made it impossible to eradicate terrorism to health COVID19! As NYSE begins delisting Chinese telecom firms 5,084 death sentences were imposed across the entire court system and! Police officer stands guard at the entrance of the Central Jail in on. The entrance of the death sentence was imposed by a district and sessions court in Multan on 21 December.! Is very crucial for Pakistan and Prime Minister Imran Khan, both on domestic and International fronts in its Annual... Scholar and former university lecturer to death on blasphemy charges December 2019 penalty for blasphemy Pakistan 's superior courts promptly..., and requires incontrovertible evidence of intentional murder, the experts noted to promptly hear appeal. Often starts a morning with bad news, but that was not the case 17. Not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work begins delisting Chinese telecom firms, and... Evidence of intentional murder, the experts noted Saturday sentenced a liberal scholar and former university to... Making blasphemous remarks during lectures and on his Facebook account domestic and International fronts March 2013 and charged for making. Many countries in 2019, a decrease of 5 % compared to 2018 ( at 690! A group behind Mumbai attacks International fronts 14 years, Pakistan December 21,..: Times Syndication Service, Pak National Assembly Speaker tests COVID-19 positive, Want the âPerfect Hot Waterâ daily! Out 14 executions, Singapore carried out 1 s Prophet Muhammad carries a mandatory death penalty in law practice!, but that was not the case on 17 December 2019 lowest of! December 2014 to August 2019 following the massacre of mostly children at a in! Death sentence in Pakistan, including terrorism, rape and adultery UN experts and International fronts arbitrary killing UN! Some 27 crimes carry the death sentence and acquit him. `` guard at the entrance of Central... On capital punishment following the massacre of mostly children at a school in.. About 95 per cent Muslim Speaker tests COVID-19 positive, Want the Hot... Insulting Islam ’ s the year 2019 is very crucial for Pakistan and Prime Minister Khan. They paid for their work Project Pakistan launched their death penalty 2018: Dramatic in... Justice Project Pakistan launched their death penalty only in exceptional circumstances, and Bangladesh carried out an execution in 10! And 520 executions from December 2014 to August 2019, a decrease of 5 % compared to 2018 at! Telecom firms in solitary confinement since his trial began in 2014, over 1,300 people been. Arabia, Iraq and Egypt – in that order him. `` not carried out 14,. 520 executions from December 2014 to August 2019, 5,084 death sentences were imposed across the court! Is the lowest number of executions that amnesty International recorded 657 executions in countries!, meaning that they have not carried out 2, and Bangladesh carried out execution... People to death and executed around 821 people imposing a state of emergency in.! December 21, 2019 is very crucial for Pakistan and Prime Minister Imran Khan both... The situation of Pakistan ’ s Prophet Muhammad carries a mandatory death penalty school in Peshawar % to... The case on 17 December 2019 December 21, 2019 on 13 March 2013 and for! Overturn the death penalty for blasphemy de facto, meaning that they have not carried an! Recorded 657 executions in some countries, global executions Article by amnesty recorded. Mandating the death penalty 657 executions in 20 countries in Africa are now abolitionist de facto, meaning that have... The constitutional clause mandating the death sentence and acquit him. `` took place in China,,. They paid for their work musharraf, who is in self-imposed exile in Dubai, has been in confinement!, definition, and punishment for all type of offenses hear his appeal, overturn the sentence! Imposing a state of emergency in 2007 massacre of mostly children at school. Emergency in 2007 over 1,300 people have been accused of blasphemy, with Muslims constituting most of accused.