Urgent Twitter Action: Urge the Japanese government not to carry out executions

Five people have been executed in Japan since the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was elected in December 2012. It has been nearly two months since Japan carried out executions and there are concerns that more executions could be about to take place during the month of June. Please see below information to take action to urge the Japanese government not to carry out any executions.

What you need can do:
Please send the following tweets calling on the Japanese authorities (see targets below) not to carry out executions. You can also create your own message to urge Japan not to carry out executions. Please ALWAYS include “#deathpenalty” and/or #abolish.

Model Tweets
@AbeShinzo @kantei @MOJ_HOUMU 死刑は、生きる権利を踏みにじる刑罰です。国際社会からの声を真摯に受け止め、ただちに死刑執行を停止するよう、強く求めます。そして、死刑廃止に向けた議論を開始するよう要請いたします。#deathpenalty

@AbeShinzo @kantei @MOJ_HOUMU Fears of more executions in Japan. It’s time to stop the death penalty. #deathpenalty #abolish

@AbeShinzo @kantei @MOJ_HOMU The world is moving away from the #deathpenalty / 世界は 死刑廃止の向かって進んでいます #abolish

Timing:
Please take action from 20 June to 28 June 2013. This is the period when we expect executions are most likely to take place in Japan.

Targets:
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe @AbeShinzo
The Office of the Prime Minister @kantei
Ministry of Justice @MOJ_HOUMU

Additional materials
Press release, Japan: Executions show chilling escalation of death penalty use, 26 April 2013. http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/japan-executions-show-chilling-escalation-death-penalty-use-2013-04-26
Press release, Japan hangs three in first executions under ‘merciless’ Abe government, 21 February 2013. http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/japan-hangs-three-first-executions-under-merciless-abe-government-2013-02-2

Updates to the action will be posted here.

Thank you.

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by buddhasbreakfast on 19/06/2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by buddhasbreakfast on 19/06/2013

http://adpan.net/2013/06/19/urgent-twitter-action-urge-the-japanese-government-not-to-carry-out-executions/

ADPAN at the World Congress Against the Death Penalty, 12-15 June, Madrid

The 5th World Congress against the death penalty brings together members of international civil society, politicians and legal experts to discuss abolitionist strategies at the national, regional and international levels. 1,500 people, from over 90 countries across the five continents, are expected to attend.

The ADPAN Coordinator and members from the following countries will be attending: Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK, France and the Netherlands.

Two plenary sessions, eleven round tables and eight workshops will take place over two days.

http://congres.abolition.fr/world-congress-in-madrid/article/nouvelle-traduction-programme-des?lang=en

Two lawyers who are ADPAN members, Madasamy Ravi from Singapore and Maiko Tagusari, Center for Prisoner’s Rights (CPR), from Japan, will be speaking at the Asia Plenary session on 14 June. Other speakers at the Asia Plenary session include Yug Chaudhry, a lawyer from India; Otto Nur Abdullah, former president of the National Commission of Human Rights in Indonesia and member of the Commission on Human Rights; Roger Hood, professor emeritus of criminology at the University of Oxford, emeritus fellow of All Souls College and the former director of the Centre for criminology at Oxford, UK.

ADPAN will be holding a side meeting open only for ADPAN members who are attending the Congress. It will take place on 12 June from 14:00-15:00 at the Palacio Municipal de Congresos de Madrid.

More news will be posted here following the World Congress, but please follow us on twitter (@ADPANetwork) to keep up to date with developments at the event.

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by adpanadmin on 11/06/2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by adpanadmin on 11/06/2013

http://adpan.net/2013/06/11/adpan-at-the-world-congress-against-the-death-penalty-12-15-june-madrid/

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

New Death Penalty Laws – ADPAN Calls on Government not to Resume Executions 

Following little parliamentary debate, the Papua New Guinea Parliament passed laws extending the death penalty for rape, murder and robbery. The law also appears to provide for new methods of execution, including lethal injection, hanging, electrocution, firing squad and death by deprivation of oxygen.

This decision is a serious setback: no executions have been carried out in Papua New Guinea since gaining independence in 1954. The Pacific has up till now been notable in being virtually a death penalty-free area with the last execution taking place in Tonga over 30 years ago.

“The government is responding with drastic but ineffective measures to a spike in violent crime and violence against women” says Louise Vischer, ADPAN Coordinator. Senior members from the Catholic Church, the Women Arise movement and senior members from the judiciary are amongst those who have been vocal in opposing the recent moves to extend the use of the death penalty. Earlier this month, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights described this as “a major setback”.

There is no convincing evidence to suggest that the death penalty is effective in combating violent crime and the passage of this very regressive piece of legislation is a major concern for the whole region.

ADPAN works against the death penalty across the Asia and the Pacific and has three members based in Papua New Guinea.

ADPAN calls on the government not to set Papua New Guinea on a course which sees the resumption of executions.

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Helen Amnol, ADPAN member from Papua New Guinea says:

“The death penalty is a controversial issue and is being debated right across the country. As a member of the Women Arise Papua New Guinea, our concerns were voiced through our founder and spokesperson. Also as a concerned member of ADPAN and a citizen of this country, my view is that the recent amendments of the Criminal Code are not only regressive but totally wrong on all levels.

PNG has a very weak law enforcement system and continues to face challenges in the detection of crime, investigation and prevention of crimes.

Legalising murder will not reduce crime. All systems need to be strengthened, rather than imposing the death penalty.”

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by adpanadmin on 29/05/2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by adpanadmin on 29/05/2013

http://adpan.net/2013/05/29/papua-new-guinea/

INDONESIA – ADPAN Appeals for Three More Prisoners facing Execution and an end to Executions – ALL THREE EXECUTED ON 17 MAY 2013!

On 16 May, the Attorney General’s office confirmed that three men could be executed imminently. ADPAN is appealing to the President to commute these death sentences and any other prisoners whose appeals have been exhausted and may face execution this year.

The families of the three prisoners, Suryadi Swabuana, Jurit bin Abdullah, and Ibrahim bin Ujang, who were all convicted of murder were reportedly told that the executions will take place on Nusakambangan island, Central Java.

Suryadi Swabuana was convicted and sentenced to death in 1992 and has had his clemency application rejected. Jurit bin Abdullah,and Ibrahim bin Ujang were also convicted and sentenced to death for a murder committed in 1997.  According to their lawyers, Jurit and Ibrahim re-filed clemency applications in 2006 and 2008 respectively.

“The execution this year and the threatened execution of more in Indonesia at this time is regrettable and proof that the death penalty is being used as a political tool before the Presidential and general election next year. In 2008, Indonesia executed 10 people shortly before its election in 2009” said Bhatara Ibnu Reza from Imparsial and ADPAN member.

All executions contradict the government’s decision to establish the setting up a Migrant Workers’ Protection Task Force to appeal for Indonesians sentenced to death abroad and the decision made by the government to move from voting against to abstention at the recent UN General Assembly vote in 2012 calling for a global moratorium on executions.

ADPAN opposes the death penalty in all cases and regrets that Indonesia resumed executions in March this year after four years.

ADPAN, a regional network that campaigns for an end to the death penalty across Asia and the Pacific, is appealing to the President to commute these three imminent death sentences and to introduce a moratorium on executions.

ADPAN members in Indonesia:

Imparsial, Indonesia

Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence (KONTRAS), Indonesia

Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Masyarakat (LBH Masyarakat), Indonesia

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by adpanadmin on 16/05/2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by adpanadmin on 16/05/2013

http://adpan.net/2013/05/16/indonesia-adpan-appeals-for-three-more-prisoners-facing-imminent-execution-and-for-an-end-to-executions-in-indonesia/

Amnesty India petition – Death penalty is not justice

Over 30,000 people have signed a petition demanding abolition of death penalty in India. Have you signed it?Stand up to end the death penalty in India. Sign the petition now
Death penalty is not justice

Inconsistency:

Three people, Harban, Kashmira and Jeeta were sentenced to death for a crime in which they played similar roles. But they met different fates. Kashmira Singh’s petition to the Supreme Court was accepted and his sentence commuted to life imprisonment. Harbans Singh was recommended by the court for clemency from the President. Jeeta Singh’s petition was dismissed and he was hanged.

Flaws:

In August 2012, 14 retired judges wrote to the President of India, pointing out that the Supreme Court had wrongly awarded the death sentence to 13 people. They called the execution of two wrongly sentenced prisoners in 1996 and 1997, “the gravest known miscarriage of justice in the history of crime and punishment in independent India”.

Bias:

“I thought I should get all these (capital punishment) cases examined from a normal citizen’s point of view in terms of the crime, intensity of the crime and the social and financial status of the individuals who were convicted and awarded capital punishment. This study revealed to my surprise that almost all the cases which were pending had a social and economic bias.” APJ Abdul Kalam.

Two executions in three months in India. Devender Pal Bhullar could be next. At least 17 more at risk.

STAND UP TO END THE DEATH PENALTY IN INDIA. SIGN THE PETITION
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by adpanadmin on 08/05/2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by adpanadmin on 08/05/2013

http://adpan.net/2013/05/08/amnesty-india-petition-death-penalty-is-not-justice/

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