One prisoner hanged in Western Iran

According to the official Iranian news agency IRNA, one prisoner was hanged in the prison of Doroud, Lorestan Province (West of Iran). The prisoner who was not identified by name, was convicted keeping 9 kilos and 618 grams of heroin, said the report.

Three prisoners were hanged in Northern Iran

According to the official website of the Iranian judiciary in Semnan province (Northern Iran), three prisoners were hanged in the prison of Shahrud early this morning, Thursday September 20.

The prisoners were identified as “M.M.”, “A. M.” and “M. R.” and convicted of “keeping and carrying large amounts of the narcotic substance crack”, said the report.

At least two prisoners were hanged in Urmia (Northwestern Iran)

According to the unofficial Kurdish news agency Kurdpa, sex prisoners were hanged in the prison of Urmia early this morning September 20. Execution of two of the prisoners has been confirmed by another independent source. These prisoners are identified as “Hashem Jahangiri” and “Iraj Deylami”, both charges with drug-related offences.

AUTHOR: Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam
URL: http://iranhr.net/
E-MAIL: amirymoghaddam [at] gmail.com

The 8 executions take place only one day after the EU expressed concern about what they calles “the alarming increase in the use of death penalty” and asked Iran to “introduce a moratorium on executions”

Eight prisoners were executed in northwestern Iran:

According to the Kurdish “Mukrian News Agency” seven prisoners were hanged in the prison of Urmia (northwestern Iran). The report which was quoting Mr. Masoud Shamsnejad, the lawyer of one of those executed, all the prisoners were convicted of drug-related charges. The prisoners were identified as: Allahvordi A., Sayyad A., Safar P., Haji P., Khosro D., Nahad N., Omran G., and Abdolmajid M.

At least one prisoner was executed in Tehran today:

According to the website of “Human rights and democracy activists in Iran” (HRDAI) several prisoners were hanged in Tehran’s Evin prison this morning. One of the prisoners is identified as “Kourosh Zarini” who according to the report was involved in the uprising and clashes between the guards and prisoners in the Ghezel Hesar prison two years ago. More than 40 prisoners were killed under these clashes.

According to the official and unofficial reports from Iran at least 78 prisoners have been executed in May 2012 in Iran.

Yesterday EU expressed concern about the alarming increase in the use of death penalty in Iran.

According to Reuters the European Union criticized Iran on Wednesday for an “alarming” increase in the use of the death penalty this year, calling on Tehran to introduce a moratorium on executions.

“According to the latest data, compiled from a number of sources, the rate of executions in Iran during the first 5 months of 2012 confirmed the country as one of the world’s leading users of the death penalty,” a spokesman for the EU’s foreign policy chief said.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is “deeply concerned by the alarming increase”, the spokesman said.

AUTHOR: Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam
URL: http://iranhr.net/
E-MAIL: amirymoghaddam [at] gmail.com

A fourth prisoner identified as “M. D.” sentenced to 13 years in prison and 74 lashes convicted of kidnapping and immoral relationship.

AUTHOR: Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam
URL: http://iranhr.net/
E-MAIL: amirymoghaddam [at] gmail.com

Even if not for the discomfiture that might attract, the fact that Nigeria still regards Africa as the centrepiece of its foreign policy requires that we start getting concerned about governance in that country as a preventive method.

Granted that it is not the only country in Africa with such strange democratic model whereby a president must stay forever, Cameroon has all the characteristics of Nigeria.

It is pluri-ethnic. It has a northern part conquered by the duelling Fulanis Muslims who believed power must be retained by them; like as in divine mandate but something remarkable happened in early in 1980s when Biya was still a prime minister.

Late President Ahmadu Ahidjo, a Muslim from the north voluntarily stepped down on November 2, 1982 and handed over power to Biya but since then there is no sign that the later can do that or there is any constitutional process that would make him handover to someone else.

When he discovered that the 1996 constitution limited his tenure to two terms, Biya, after winning a re-election in 2004 opted to use an unlimited presidential power at his disposal to make the terms of a president indefinite.

He used a new year’s message in 2008 to say that it is undemocratic to limit peoples’ choice, hence he proposed the removal of term limit. With his party, (Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement) RPDC controlling the National Assembly overwhelmingly, his wish was granted.

Cameroonian president is like a king with infinite power to create policy, administer government agencies, appoint officials of government at all levels including provincial governors, divisional officers and urban-council members. The president appoints judges at all levels. In fact, Biya is the state and the state is Biya.

How can democracy progress with the president having such overwhelming powers and we are complaining about Libya and Colonel Muamar Ghadafi.

The result is that corruption in Cameroon has run lose with Transparency International placing the country at number 138 amongst the 163 countries in recent ranking.

Like Nigeria, prisons are overcrowded and criminal suspects are tortured. Even traditional rulers have their own types of prisons and they’re notorious for holding political opponents.

There has never been a time the national assembly was able to change or block any law proposed by the president.

Opposition parties do exist and the most popular is the Social Democratic Front (SDF) run by John Fru Ndi but the government disrupt the evolution of oppositions, civil rights groups and journalists.

The issue I wish to raise here is that Cameroon cannot remain like this. Democracy recognises limit for the terms of a president and the country must allow this.

Failing to do so, I foresee a situation whereby the northern part of the country would start feeling unease with the continued stay of Biya and recent experience has shown that such discords are not easy to resolve. It may even results to arm hostilities.

These are issues that could be tackled now before Western powers start mulling no-fly zone or US, France or NATO commences to think of defending civilians.

AUTHOR: Paul Ohia
URL: www.paulohia.blog.com and www.paulohia.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: paulohia [at] yahoo.co.uk