Post by Anja Nieser on Sept 28, 2006 21:12:45 GMT -5
Does he deserve human rights?
Thursday, September 28, 2006 20:50 IST
Srinagar is burning because of Mohammed Afzal's death penalty. Human right activists and people take firm, but different stands on the issue.
Don't be influenced, Prez : It's surprising and shocking to hear that people in J&K are actually protesting against the death penalty awarded to Mohammed Afzal. Somebody who has killed so many deserves to be killed. The protesters in J&K are biased and have their own vested interests. Pardoning him will encourage more terrorists towards such heinous crimes.
The President shouldn't be influenced by protests and human rights activists and do what is in the best interest of the country. Death penalty is the most effective way to deal with terrorism. Forgiveness will neither be understood nor appreciated by these brutal terrorists who have no moral qualms about mercilessly taking innocent lives. - Anita Gupta. Parel
Afzal deserves death, not mercy: Afzal must be hanged. If he is pardoned, we will be seen as a lenient and soft State. This will encourage other anti-national elements who will believe that they can get away with murder. People argue that capital punishment doesn't reduce the crime rate in any way.
But it's not just about deterrence; it is essentially about punishing an individual for his heinous act. The only agenda terrorists have is mass killing; they will keep at it till they are put to death. Human rights activists are bound to make noise; that's their job. But the President should not succumb to these tactics. Afzal deserves death for aiding parliament attack, not clemency. - Kumar Abhijeet. Santacruz
Emotions can't obstruct justice: If we don't punish Afzal now, the problems will only escalate. Terrorism will get a boost and the morale of the country will go down. If the govt can't punish those who wage a war against the country, how will it protect common people? Given the atmosphere of terror in the country, the death sentence seems apt. In fact, for attacking the parliament, Afzal deserves a punishment worse than hanging. He should be put to death in the worst manner possible so as to deter others from joining terror groups.
Human rights agencies are bound to protest. They will make all sorts of emotional arguments to obfuscate the course of justice. But the country can't run on emotions.
- Anil Varane. Airoli
Clemency will send wrong signals: If the evidence is conclusive, there is no reason why Mohd Afzal shouldn't be hanged. I'm sure capital punishment was awarded only after due thought by the judges. The act Afzal has committed is simply unpardonable. The response to terror attacks has to swift and strong. Once the judiciary has passed the verdict, the execution should be quick. Any delay in punishing the guilty will only encourage the miscreants.
If Afzal is granted clemency, it will send all the wrong signals - to the terrorists and to the citizens. It's not unusual for human rights' activists to raise a hue and cry over the sentence. They have their own line of thought which they are free to pursue. However, in some cases, they do go overboard. - Venu. Mahim
I oppose death penalty in all cases. First, no lawyer agreed to represent Afzal and was deprived of fair defence. So, you are d**ning somebody without a trial. People are being condemned because the State is bent upon implicating them. Twenty years ago, even Indira Gandhi's killer were given a fair trial.
As a modern democratic country, we should abolish death penalty like other democracies. The problem is that the US has retained the system and we are just following them.” — Susan Abraham. Lawyer
I am of the opinion that death penalty is fundamentally wrong and the State does not have the right to take away any person’s life. No crime deserves capital punishment.
The court is only interested in giving punishment for the crime and is not bothered about the person. It breaks down criminal acts into different sections but doesn't go into the background and reasons behind the crime. No crime, even those like waging war against the nation, should attract capital punishment.” — Hosbet Suresh. Former HC judge, Human Rights activist
Capital facts
According to Amnesty International report, at least 77 people were sentenced to death in India during the year, though not all the sentences have been executed.
As of now, 86 countries have abolished the death penalty.
The number of death sentences and executions in India and the identity of those executed remains unknown. Media reports speak of 55 executions since Independence. However, an Indian human rights group, the People's Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), has stated that according to a 1967 Law Commission report, at least 1,422 people were executed between 1953 and 1963 alone.
Mercy petitions of over 50 prisoners on death row are pending with the President APJ Abdul Kalam. Some of them pending from the time of his predecessor.
Currently, the President gets recommendations from the Union Home Ministry and the Cabinet before exercising his authority. The process involved remains unclear.
Thursday, September 28, 2006 20:50 IST
Srinagar is burning because of Mohammed Afzal's death penalty. Human right activists and people take firm, but different stands on the issue.
Don't be influenced, Prez : It's surprising and shocking to hear that people in J&K are actually protesting against the death penalty awarded to Mohammed Afzal. Somebody who has killed so many deserves to be killed. The protesters in J&K are biased and have their own vested interests. Pardoning him will encourage more terrorists towards such heinous crimes.
The President shouldn't be influenced by protests and human rights activists and do what is in the best interest of the country. Death penalty is the most effective way to deal with terrorism. Forgiveness will neither be understood nor appreciated by these brutal terrorists who have no moral qualms about mercilessly taking innocent lives. - Anita Gupta. Parel
Afzal deserves death, not mercy: Afzal must be hanged. If he is pardoned, we will be seen as a lenient and soft State. This will encourage other anti-national elements who will believe that they can get away with murder. People argue that capital punishment doesn't reduce the crime rate in any way.
But it's not just about deterrence; it is essentially about punishing an individual for his heinous act. The only agenda terrorists have is mass killing; they will keep at it till they are put to death. Human rights activists are bound to make noise; that's their job. But the President should not succumb to these tactics. Afzal deserves death for aiding parliament attack, not clemency. - Kumar Abhijeet. Santacruz
Emotions can't obstruct justice: If we don't punish Afzal now, the problems will only escalate. Terrorism will get a boost and the morale of the country will go down. If the govt can't punish those who wage a war against the country, how will it protect common people? Given the atmosphere of terror in the country, the death sentence seems apt. In fact, for attacking the parliament, Afzal deserves a punishment worse than hanging. He should be put to death in the worst manner possible so as to deter others from joining terror groups.
Human rights agencies are bound to protest. They will make all sorts of emotional arguments to obfuscate the course of justice. But the country can't run on emotions.
- Anil Varane. Airoli
Clemency will send wrong signals: If the evidence is conclusive, there is no reason why Mohd Afzal shouldn't be hanged. I'm sure capital punishment was awarded only after due thought by the judges. The act Afzal has committed is simply unpardonable. The response to terror attacks has to swift and strong. Once the judiciary has passed the verdict, the execution should be quick. Any delay in punishing the guilty will only encourage the miscreants.
If Afzal is granted clemency, it will send all the wrong signals - to the terrorists and to the citizens. It's not unusual for human rights' activists to raise a hue and cry over the sentence. They have their own line of thought which they are free to pursue. However, in some cases, they do go overboard. - Venu. Mahim
I oppose death penalty in all cases. First, no lawyer agreed to represent Afzal and was deprived of fair defence. So, you are d**ning somebody without a trial. People are being condemned because the State is bent upon implicating them. Twenty years ago, even Indira Gandhi's killer were given a fair trial.
As a modern democratic country, we should abolish death penalty like other democracies. The problem is that the US has retained the system and we are just following them.” — Susan Abraham. Lawyer
I am of the opinion that death penalty is fundamentally wrong and the State does not have the right to take away any person’s life. No crime deserves capital punishment.
The court is only interested in giving punishment for the crime and is not bothered about the person. It breaks down criminal acts into different sections but doesn't go into the background and reasons behind the crime. No crime, even those like waging war against the nation, should attract capital punishment.” — Hosbet Suresh. Former HC judge, Human Rights activist
Capital facts
According to Amnesty International report, at least 77 people were sentenced to death in India during the year, though not all the sentences have been executed.
As of now, 86 countries have abolished the death penalty.
The number of death sentences and executions in India and the identity of those executed remains unknown. Media reports speak of 55 executions since Independence. However, an Indian human rights group, the People's Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), has stated that according to a 1967 Law Commission report, at least 1,422 people were executed between 1953 and 1963 alone.
Mercy petitions of over 50 prisoners on death row are pending with the President APJ Abdul Kalam. Some of them pending from the time of his predecessor.
Currently, the President gets recommendations from the Union Home Ministry and the Cabinet before exercising his authority. The process involved remains unclear.