International Death Penalty News 2021, Issue 26: Bangladesh, India, Iran, Japan, Pakistan, United States of America, Yemen
June 25, 2021
IDPN 2021 Issue 26
Bangladesh: On Thursday, June 17, 2021, 55-year-old Sirajul Islam was executed in Sylhet Central Jail. Sirajul was convicted of murdering his wife 17 years ago, following a dispute.
India: Nasruddin Mian, who had been sentenced to death, has been acquitted by the Patna High Court. Nasruddin was convicted of murdering his 23-year-old wife Sanjeeda Khatoon for her dowry. Nasruddin married Sanjeeda in 2003, and had two children together before Sanjeeda died on March 17, 2007. Sanjeeda’s father alleged that she was poisoned because Nasruddin’s demand for a motorcycle had not been met. Nasruddin’s case was dismissed due to lack of evidence, as the medical and forensic evidence did not sufficiently prove that Sanjeeda was murdered.
Iran: Prosecutors are requesting that a man be sentenced to death after he was arrested for consuming alcohol for the fourth time. On each of his previous arrested, he was convicted and received a flogging as his punishment. While the man confesses to drinking on the previous three occasions, he denies this fourth charge, alleging that he was home alone watching television with the volume up.
On Sunday, June 20, 2021, Ramin Saadat-Beiglou was executed by hanging at Qazvin Central Prison. Ramin was convicted of murdering another person in 2017, who owed him money.
On Monday, June 21, 2021, Habib Rezaei was executed by hanging at Salmas Prison. Habib was convicted of murdering another person during a fight and was sentenced to qisas, that is retribution in kind.
Japan: On Thursday, June 24, 2021, 51-year-old Yoshitaka Morito was sentenced to death for killing two road cleaners in Fukushima Prefecture in Miharu. Yoshitaka was convicted of ramming his truck into the two workers in May of 2020.
Pakistan: On Monday, June 14, 2021, two clerics Qari Abdul Majeed and Qari Ahsan Ali, were sentenced to death after they were convicted of kidnapping 15-year-old Abdul Moiz on June 26, 2016. The duo kidnapped Abdul in the hopes of received a ransom, but four days after kidnapping him, Abdul’s family paid the ransom and then his kidnappers murdered him. Majeed and Ali were sentenced to death by hanging, as well as ordered to pay a fine to the family of the victim.
United States of America: On Wednesday, June 23, 2021, Archie Dixon was scheduled to be executed by the state of Ohio. His execution has been rescheduled to April 17, 2024. Archie is convicted of murdering 22-year-old Christopher Hammer in Toledo, Ohio, on September 22, 1993.
On Friday, June 25, 2021, Freddie Owens was scheduled to be executed by the state of South Carolina. His execution was stayed by the South Carolina Supreme Court. Freddie is convicted of the murder 41-year-old Irene Grainger Graves on November 1, 1997, in Greenville, South Carolina.
Last week, 72-year-old Charles Fain received a declaration of innocence from the state of Idaho. Charles was convicted and sentenced to death for a 1982 sexual assault and murder of a child. He spent 20 years in prison for the crime. In 2001, Charles was released from prison after DNA testing proved that he was not responsible for the killing. In May 2020, another man, David Dalrymple, was matched to the evidence through DNA samples. Now, after having received a declaration of innocence from the state of Idaho, Charles has received financial compensation of over $1,000,000 from the state for the years he spent in prison.
On Monday, June 21, 2021, Ronnie Oneal was convicted of murdering his 33-year-old girlfriend, Kenuatta Barron, and their disabled nine-year-old daughter, Ron’Niveya Oneal in Florida. Ronnie was also convicted of attempting to murder his eight-year-old son, who survived and testified against his father. During the trial, Ronnie acted as his own attorney, where he was also charged and convicted on several related charges. Ronnie has since decided to have an attorney represent him during the penalty phase of the trial. The same jury that convicted Ronnie, will now decide his punishment, with the prosecution requesting that he be sentenced to death.
David Lynn Carpenter, a death row inmate in Texas, died at a prison hospital on Friday, June 18, 2021. His cause of death has not been reported, although prison officials have confirmed that his death was not covid-related. David was sentenced to death in April 1999, for the murder of 52-year-old Nelda Henin. David was burglarizing Nelda’s home on August 28, 1991, in Dallas, Texas, when he murdered her.
In January 2013, a Florida jury recommended by a vote of 8-4, that John William Campbell be sentenced to death for the murder of his 68-year-old father, John Henry Campbell, by hacking him to death in August 2010. Now, on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, Citrus County Circuit Court Judge Richard “Ric” Howard ordered that John be resented to life in prison. John was due to be resentenced after the 2017 Hurst v. Florida ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States, which brought about the requirement that juries need to be unanimous in order to sentence a person to death. In considering John’s case, significant evidence was presented to the judge regarding John’s brain damage, him being born with fetal alcohol syndrome, congenital defects, hostile upbringing, and suffering from post-traumatic stress. In addition to the new prison sentence, John had previously been given a 95-year prison term for a string of robberies leading up to the murders.
Brandon Lee Bradley will be resented from death to life in prison without parole in Florida. Brandon was sentenced to death for the murder of 52-year-old Brevard County Deputy Barbara Pill. Deputy Pill was murdered after she pulled over Brandon and his accomplice, Andria Kerchner, who were suspected of robbery. Brandon shot the deputy as he attempted to escape. Brandon was convicted and sentenced to death by jury vote of 10-2. However, in 2017, he was granted a new sentencing hearing after the Florida Supreme Court ruled that death penalty sentences needed an unanimous jury. The prosecution, with the support of the victim’s family, agreed to not pursue the death penalty, meaning Brandon will be resentenced to life in prison.
Yemen: On Wednesday, June 16, 2021, three men were publicly executed in Sanaa, Yemen. The three men were shot to death. Ali Abdullah Al Noami was convicted of murdering his three daughters by leaving them in a water tank after an argument with his wife. The two other men, Abdullah Ali Al Mukahali and Mohammad Abdullah Arman were convicted of the rape and murder of an eight-year-old boy.
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