Search the Community

Chandigarh, August 20, 2013-The Amnesty International India has launched a campaign to halt the death sentence of Prof Devinderpal Singh Bhullar and Karnataka convicts Shivu and Jadeswamy. Raising apprehension that the execution of the trio is imminent, Amnesty has called upon the public to raise its voice against capital punishment. It has appealed to the public to build a public movement, while calling on the Indian authorities not to execute Bhullar, Shivu, Jadeswamy or any other prisoner. Amnesty has also demanded a fresh trial in Bhullars case, besides halting further executions, commuting all death sentences to imprisonment and establishing an official moratorium on executions in order to abolish death penalty. On August 14, the Supreme Court upheld its rejection of Prof Bhullars commutation plea. He is now at risk of imminent execution. The mercy petitions of two other men were also rejected by the President in August, and reports suggest they could be executed on August 22, Amnesty said. The President has also rejected the mercy petitions of Shivu and Jadeswamy, who were sentenced to death in July 2005 for a womans rape and murder in 2001. The Karnataka High Court upheld the sentence in October 2005 and the Supreme Court did it in February 2007. According to Amnesty Indias media officer: [o]n 14 August, India s Supreme Court upheld its rejection of Devender Pal Singh Bhullars commutation plea. He is now at risk of imminent execution. The mercy petitions of two other men were also rejected by the President in August, and reports suggest they could be executed on 22 August. Devender Pal Singh Bhullar was sentenced to death in August 2001 for his involvement in a bomb attack in New Delhi in 1993 that killed nine people. He was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), a law that contained provisions incompatible with international fair trial standards, and had no access to a lawyer during his initial detention and trial. He was found guilty on the basis of a confession to the police which he later retracted, claiming it was made under police pressure. In March 2002, the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence, though one of the three judges had found him not guilty, saying there was no evidence to convict him. The President rejected Devender Pal Singh Bhullars mercy petition in May 2011, eight years after the request was filed. This decision was challenged before the Supreme Court, including on grounds of an inordinate delay in the consideration of his mercy petition. The Supreme Court rejected his plea on 12 April, in a judgement that ignored claims he had been subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. A review petition of this judgment was dismissed on 14 August 2013. Devender Pal Singh Bhullar has been receiving treatment at a psychiatric facility, and a medical board has reportedly stated that he is suffering from severe depression and shows symptoms of psychosis and suicidal tendencies. International standards on the use of the death penalty prohibit the use of capital punishment against people with mental disability. Since taking office, President Pranab Mukherjee has rejected mercy petitions of at least 19 people. Information about the rejection of mercy petitions is not publicly available, making it difficult to determine the status of individual cases. In August, the President rejected the mercy petitions of Shivu and Jadeswamy, who were sentenced to death in July 2005 for the rape and murder of a woman in 2001. The Karnataka High Court upheld the sentence in October 2005 and the Supreme Court upheld it in February 2007. In November 2012, the Supreme Court, in a different case relating to the imposition of the death penalty, observed that in Shivu and Jadeswamys case, the circumstances of the convicts were not considered for reducing the death penalty a necessary measure courts are required to take under Indian law before sentencing anyone to death. Their executions have been reportedly scheduled for 22 August. On 21 August, the Supreme Court will hear petitions from Shivu and Jadeswamy seeking commutation of their sentence on the grounds that the six-year delay in consideration of their mercy petitions was inordinate. On 22 October, a larger bench of the Supreme Court will begin hearing together the cases of at least 17 other convicts who are seeking commutation of their death sentences on similar grounds. Amnesty India has issued an urgent action appeal calling upon the people to raise immediate concerns against these suspected executions by wiring letters to the President, Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs, India. Amnesty Indias appeal in this regard reads as follows: Please write immediately in English or your own language: - Calling on Indian authorities not to execute Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, Shivu and Jadeswamy or any other prisoners - Calling on Indian authorities to retry Devender Pal Singh Bhullars case in proceedings that meet international fair trial standards; - Urging them to immediately halt any further executions, commute all death sentences to terms of imprisonment, and establish an official moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty. PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 30 SEPTEMBER 2013 TO: President of India Mr. Pranab Mukherjee Rashtrapati Bhawan New Delhi 110001 India Fax: +9111 2301 7290 Email: (via form) http://www.helpline.rb.nic.in/GrievanceNew.aspx Salutation: Dear President Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh South Block, Raisina Hill New Delhi 110001 India Fax: +9111 2301 9545 Email: (via form) http://pmindia.nic.in/feedback.php?ln=english Salutation: Dear Prime Minister And copies to: Minister of Home Affairs Mr. Sushilkumar Shinde 104 North Block Central Secretariat New Delhi 110001 India Fax: +9111 2309 4221 Email: hm@nic.in AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL INDIA URGENT ACTION Three men face imminent execution in India Additional Information In the Indian justice system, a mercy petition is often the final opportunity for individuals to have their death sentences commuted by the executive, after the judicial appeals have been exhausted. In the past, some mercy petition decisions have been challenged before the higher judiciary on grounds of undue delay by the executive in the consideration of such petitions. However, the decision to hear such a challenge is left to the discretion of the higher judiciary. In April 2012, the Supreme Court, while upholding Devender Pal Singh Bhullars death sentence, stated that delay cannot be invoked in cases where a person is convicted for an offence under TADA or similar statutes. The court decided not to commute the death sentence based on the enormity of the crime. Since assuming office in 2012, President Pranab Mukherjee has rejected mercy petitions of at least 19 people Ajmal Kasab, Saibanna, Afzal Guru, Gnanprakasham, Simon, Meesekar Madaiah, Bilavendran, Suresh, Ramji, Gurmeet Singh, Sonia Choudhary, Sanjeev Choudhary, Jafar Ali, Dharam Pal, Praveen Kumar, B A Umesh, Maganlal Barela, Shivu and Jadeswamy . India has executed two of these individuals: Ajmal Kasab on 21 November 2012 and Afzal Guru on 9 February 2013. These two executions were considered out of turn and were not announced to the public until they had been carried out. A government minister stated that no prior announcement was made in Ajmal Kasabs case to avoid intervention from human rights activists. In Afzal Gurus case, the family only received notification of the execution after it had been carried out, and the body was not returned to them for burial. Prior to these, the last execution in India had been that of Dhananjoy Chatterjee in August 2004. Of the remaining cases, Santhan, Murugan, Perarivalan, Gnanaprakasam, Simon, Madaiah and Bilavendran were originally convicted by a TADA court. Indian authorities used to make information about the rejection of mercy petitions and dates of execution available to the public before any executions. However they have stopped this practice since 2012, making it difficult to know which mercy petitions are being considered, when decisions are be made, and whether these decisions would be public. In resolution 2005/59 the UN Commission on Human Rights called upon all states that still maintain the death penalty to make available to the public information with regard to the imposition of the death penalty and to any scheduled execution. Indias resumption of executions has set the country against regional and global trends towards abolition of the death penalty As of today, 140 countries are abolitionist in law or in practice. Out of 41 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, 17 have abolished the death penalty for all crimes, 10 are abolitionist in practice and one Fiji uses the death penalty only for exceptional military crimes. Over the past 10 years, four Asia-Pacific countries abolished the death penalty for all crimes: Bhutan and Samoa in 2004, the Philippines in 2006 and the Cook Islands in 2007. UN bodies and mechanisms have repeatedly called upon member states to establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty, including through the adoption of four UN General Assembly resolutions in December 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012. India voted against all four resolutions Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases as a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, regardless of the nature of the crime; guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to carry out the execution. http://www.punjabspectrum.com/2013/08/18949

Amnesty International does not launch Urgent Action appeals unless it has evidence that an execution is about to happen. Read the actions you can take below. The Indian elections are coming soon and as usual the Government has no policies apart from whipping up hatred against minorities and acting tough against Pakistan an China. The economy is in a mess with the Rupee in freefall, they are looking to divert people attention. Document - India: Further information: Three men face imminent execution in India http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA20/036/2013/en/668f57a8-cef4-4e4b-935d-f245446b7cb4/asa200362013en.html Further information on UA: 91/13 Index: ASA 20/036/2013 India Date: 19 August 2013 URGENT ACTION THREE MEN FACE IMMINENT EXECUTION IN INDIA On 14 August, Indias Supreme Court upheld its rejection of Devender Pal Singh Bhullars commutation plea. He is now at risk of imminent execution. The mercy petitions of two other men were also rejected by the President in August, and reports suggest they could be executed on 22 August. Devender Pal Singh Bhullar was sentenced to death in August 2001 for his involvement in a bomb attack in New Delhi in 1993 that killed nine people. He was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), a law that contained provisions incompatible with international fair trial standards, and had no access to a lawyer during his initial detention and trial. He was found guilty on the basis of a confession to the police which he later retracted, claiming it was made under police pressure. In March 2002, the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence, though one of the three judges had found him not guilty, saying there was no evidence to convict him. The President rejected Devender Pal Singh Bhullar's mercy petition in May 2011, eight years after the request was filed. This decision was challenged before the Supreme Court, including on grounds of an inordinate delay in the consideration of his mercy petition. The Supreme Court rejected his plea on 12 April, in a judgement that ignored claims he had been subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. A review petition of this judgment was dismissed on 14 August 2013. Devender Pal Singh Bhullar has been receiving treatment at a psychiatric facility, and a medical board has reportedly stated that he is suffering from severe depression and shows symptoms of psychosis and suicidal tendencies. International standards on the use of the death penalty prohibit the use of capital punishment against people with mental disability. Since taking office, President Pranab Mukherjee has rejected mercy petitions of at least 19 people. In August, he rejected the mercy petitions of Shivu and Jadeswamy, who were sentenced to death in July 2005 for the rape and murder of a woman in 2001. Their executions have been reportedly scheduled for 22 August. On 21 August, the Supreme Court will hear petitions from Shivu and Jadeswamy seeking commutation of their sentences. Please write immediately in English or your own language: ν Calling on Indian authorities not to execute Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, Shivu and Jadeswamy or any other prisoners ν Calling on Indian authorities to retry Devender Pal Singh Bhullars case in proceedings that meet international fair trial standards; ν Urging them to immediately halt any further executions, commute all death sentences to terms of imprisonment, and establish an official moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty. PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 30 SEPTEMBER 2013 TO: President of India Mr. Pranab Mukherjee Rashtrapati Bhawan New Delhi 110001 India Fax: +9111 2301 7290 Email: (via form) http://www.helpline.rb.nic.in/Grievanc eNew.aspx Salutation: Dear President Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh South Block, Raisina Hill New Delhi 110001 India Fax: +9111 2301 9545 Email: (via form) http://pmindia.nic.in/feedback.php? ln=english Salutation: Dear Prime Minister And copies to: Minister of Home Affairs Mr. Sushilkumar Shinde 104 North Block Central Secretariat New Delhi 110001 India Fax: +9111 2309 4221 Email: hm@nic.in Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the first update of UA 91/13. Further information: http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA20/020/2013/en URGENT ACTION THREE MEN FACE IMMINENT EXECUTION IN INDIA ADDITIONAL INFORMATION In the Indian justice system, a mercy petition is often the final opportunity for individuals to have their death sentences commuted by the executive, after the judicial appeals have been exhausted. In the past, some mercy petition decisions have been challenged before the higher judiciary on grounds of undue delay by the executive in the consideration of such petitions. However, the decision to hear such a challenge is left to the discretion of the higher judiciary. In April 2012, the Supreme Court, while upholding Devender Pal Singh Bhullars death sentence, stated that delay cannot be invoked in cases where a person is convicted for an offence under TADA or similar statutes. The court decided not to commute the death sentence based on the enormity of the crime. Since assuming office in 2012, President Pranab Mukherjee has rejected mercy petitions of at least 19 people - Ajmal Kasab, Saibanna, Afzal Guru, Gnanprakasham, Simon, Meesekar Madaiah, Bilavendran, Suresh, Ramji, Gurmeet Singh, Sonia Choudhary, Sanjeev Choudhary, Jafar Ali, Dharam Pal, Praveen Kumar, B A Umesh, Maganlal Barela, Shivu and Jadeswamy . India has executed two of these individuals: Ajmal Kasab on 21 November 2012 and Afzal Guru on 9 February 2013. These two executions were considered out of turn and were not announced to the public until they had been carried out. A government minister stated that no prior announcement was made in Ajmal Kasabs case to avoid intervention from human rights activists. In Afzal Gurus case, the family only received notification of the execution after it had been carried out, and the body was not returned to them for burial. Prior to these, the last execution in India had been that of Dhananjoy Chatterjee in August 2004. Of the remaining cases, Santhan, Murugan, Perarivalan, Gnanaprakasam, Simon, Madaiah and Bilavendran were originally convicted by a TADA court. On 22 October, the Supreme Court will begin hearing the cases of at least 17 individuals who are seeking commutation of their death sentences after presidential rejection of their mercy plea. Indian authorities used to make information about the rejection of mercy petitions and dates of execution available to the public before any executions. However they have stopped this practice since 2012, making it difficult to know which mercy petitions are being considered, when decisions are be made, and whether these decisions would be public. In resolution 2005/59 the UN Commission on Human Rights called upon all states that still maintain the death penalty to make available to the public information with regard to the imposition of the death penalty and to any scheduled execution. Indias resumption of executions has set the country against regional and global trends towards abolition of the death penalty As of today, 140 countries are abolitionist in law or in practice. Out of 41 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, 17 have abolished the death penalty for all crimes, 10 are abolitionist in practice and one Fiji uses the death penalty only for exceptional military crimes. Over the past 10 years, four Asia-Pacific countries abolished the death penalty for all crimes: Bhutan and Samoa in 2004, the Philippines in 2006 and the Cook Islands in 2007. UN bodies and mechanisms have repeatedly called upon member states to establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty, including through the adoption of four UN General Assembly resolutions in December 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012. India voted against all four resolutions Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases as a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, regardless of the nature of the crime; guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to carry out the execution. Name: Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, Shivu, Jadeswamy Gender m/f: m Further information on UA: 91/13 Index: ASA 20/036/2013 Issue Date: 19 August 2013 View the overview page for this document

The protests against Proff Bhullar's execution have had success. The UK Govt is to raise its opposition with India. All those that have been involved in lobbies, camped out Downing St well done. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Will-ask-India-to-commute-Bhullars-death-UK-govt-to-Sikh-delegation/articleshow/21666075.cms? Will ask India to commute Bhullar's death: UK govt to Sikh delegation Kounteya Sinha, TNN | Aug 7, 2013, 03.16 AM IST LONDON: A British foreign office minister on Tuesday told Sikhs that UK will ask India to drop the death penalty against Davinderpal Singh Bhullar. Hugo Swire Britain's minister for India in the foreign office met Sikh representatives with Lord Indarjit Singh of Wimbledon and discussed the case of Bhullar whose appeal for his death sentence to be commuted was rejected by India's Supreme Court on April 12. They said, "If India executes Bhullar it will signal to the world that it is backward and prepared to eliminate all Sikh prisoners." Swire told the delegation that UK was against the death penalty in all circumstances. Swire said UK will monitor the case of Bhullar closely "as we will in all cases where the death penalty has been given as a sentence". He further said that UK will call on the Indian government to reintroduce a moratorium on the death penalty, with a view to formal abolition. "We are against death penalty and we aren't changing that," Swire had told TOI recently.

BNP holding a demo in Whitehall today Have released this statement http://t.co/nODGSSMlED But apparently on twitter everyone's saying behind closed doors they threatened Singhs and are going to attack them and the vigil Can anyone confirm?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeE-2IP_4gU I'm surprised that he seems so level minded, a big contrast from what the media has portrayed him and the general movement. It seems they are only against the radical elements and not against innocent Muslims and they don't advocate violence. I don't really feel any viciousness or hidden agenda other than a real concern coming from a fear from the Islamisation of the UK.

Germany has no locus standi to seek clemency for Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar: India New Delhi: India does not see any locus standi of Germany in the case of death row convict Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar for whom they are pressing clemency. Amid reports that the German President and the Foreign Minister have written to their Indian counterparts seeking clemency for Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) terrorist Bhullar, sources here said the Khalistani terrorist was not extradited but deported under an executive order in 1995 and hence, there is no ground for Germans to intervene. "There is no locus standi, legally, of Germany to seek clemency for Khalistani terrorist," sources said, noting that Germany has in the past also made efforts for commutation of Bhullar's death penalty into life imprisonment. Last month, the Supreme Court had dismissed Bhullar's plea for commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment on ground of delay in deciding his mercy plea. Bhullar was given death penalty for triggering a bomb blast here in September 1993, killing nine people and injuring 25 others, including then Youth Congress President M S Bitta. However, after the Supreme Court's dismissal, Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Singh Badal had approached Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Home Minister to find a way out to stop Bhullar's execution on the ground of peace and harmony in the state. To which Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the government has decided to examine the demand for clemency as made by the Punjab Chief Minister. Earlier in the day, German Ambassador Michael Steiner said his country is opposed to death penalty but parried a question on whether his country's leadership has written seeking clemency for Bhullar. Germany has a "principled position" on death penalty and it does not amount to interference in any internal matters, he said when asked whether seeking clemency for Bhullar is an interference in the internal matter of India. "Germany has a principled position that it is opposing death penalty because we don't believe it serves the cause of justice," he told reporters here. Asked about the letter again, Steiner said "I think if someone has a principled position, it is not an interference in any internal matter."

VJKK VJKF! Could all the sangat copy and paste the link below: http://wh.gov/eMxR Create an account and sign the petition. When it gets 100,000, the White House Administration will review it. Post link on all social medias too.

http://zeenews.india.com/news/punjab/bsf-deployed-in-three-districts-of-punjab_842587.html SANGAT KEEP DOING CHAUPAI SAHIB PAATH FOR PROFESSOR SAHIB AND THE PANTH. Then do ardaas.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Khalistani-terrorist-Bhullar-likely-to-be-hanged-secretly/articleshow/19549814.cms I am unsure as to what to make of this news...security has obviously been stepped up in Punjab as a number of reports are coming through confirming this. Police presence has been increased in cities like Jalandhar and Amritsar, and the Akali party has asked for army presence in punjab as per unconfirmed reports. Does this mean that the execution is likely to happen in the next few days? What can be done? Who can directly intervene? Organisations such as Amnesty International clearly hold no weight in this issue. I feel like the only avenue is pressure on the Punjab govt and Indian govt...whether that be via the Akal Takhat or other international govts...but we don't have much time. We really need to act fast...are the Sikhs in Punjab even aware of this? I have not seen any news about protests there as was in the case of Balwant Singh Rajoana?