Three men face imminent execution in india
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. 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 Jadeswamy’s 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.
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 Bhullar’s 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 |
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation
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
ਕੁਝ ਹੋਰ ਜ਼ਰੂਰੀ ਲਿੰਕ:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation
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
ਕੁਝ ਹੋਰ ਜ਼ਰੂਰੀ ਲਿੰਕ:
