Human rights groups based abroad estimate that China executes more people each year than the rest of the world combined. However, there is a lot of disparity in the number of executions China has carried out. According to US-based Dui Hua Foundation, there were around 5,000 executions in 2009 and around 6,000 in 2007. Amnesty International's figures are lower. They estimate that in 2008 there were 1,700 executions. Though that still is a big number. The disparity in numbers illustrates how little is known about the death penalty in China. Reports in the Chinese media suggest that one in ten executions is for non-violent, economic crimes. The US government recently reported that China has at least 68 capital offenses in their criminal code.
There are a lot of concerns with China's handling of the death penalty. For one, there is a lot of secrecy surrounding the judicial process in China, which makes it impossible to tell whether someone got a fair trial. Also, there are objections to the method in which prisoners are executed in China. The method of capital punishment used in most of the country is a gunshot to the head. Although in the last seven years, eight provinces and municipalities have introduced lethal injection. According to a legal scholar, "[Within China] most of the public and members of the legal community basically accept and support China's current policy toward the death penalty."
However, some say China has actually made improvements in their handling of death penalty cases in recent years. The Dui Hua Foundation reported that China's secrecy in the judicial process has prevented China from getting credit for progress in its reduction of capital punishment. Two years ago, China reformed the system and gave the Supreme People's Court final say over death penalties and whether they'll be carried out or not. Before it was lower courts that had the final say. Dui Hua believes the number of people executed fell by at least a quarter in the year after the reforms were put into place. It's been reported that the court has rejected 15% of the cases it reviewed due to "unclear facts, insufficient evidence, inappropriateness of the death penalty in some cases, and inadequate trial procedures." (Full Story)
In Iran there were protests across the country on Sunday after opposition supporters took to the streets as the Shia Muslim festival of Ashura reached it climax (in addition, an influential dissident cleric, Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri died a week ago at age 87. His funeral attracted tens of thousands of pro-reform supporters, many of whom shouted anti-government slogans). The protest turned violent when police fired tear gas and tried to break up the protest. At least eight people have died; earlier there were reports that 15 people died. This is the highest death toll since the protests in June after the election. In addition, about 300 people were detained after the protests. A number of opposition figures -- including senior aides to opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi -- have been arrested.
One of the victims killed in Sunday's violence was Mousavi's nephew. He was shot in the back as security forces fired on demonstrators in Tehran. Members of the opposition believe he was deliberately targeted to intimidate Mir Hossein Mousavi. Family members say they are unable to have a funeral for him because his body was taken from the hospital. Opposition sources believe the body was taken by government agents to prevent his funeral from occurring -- which they fear could turn into a rallying point for more protests. Today a group of Mousavi supporters were demonstrating outside of the hospital and police fired teargas to disperse them.
The authorities are blaming troublemakers for the violence, and the police deny any responsibility for the deaths; instead they suggest that the protesters may have shot each other. (Full Story)
It looks like even our procrastination can be outsourced.
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