Part
4: Part
4:By Maha Akeel
Arab News
JEDDAH, 31 May 2004 — Rania Al-Baz’s husband has been sentenced to six months in jail and 300 lashes for beating his wife almost to death.
On April 4, Muhammad Bakar Yunus Al-Fallatta attacked the popular TV presenter, pinning her to the floor and repeatedly smashing her face into the marble tiles and the walls while choking her. He then dumped her unconscious at Bugshan Hospital.
She barely escaped with her life, suffering 13 facial fractures, and continues to undergo reconstructive surgery. Doctors say she has a 70 percent chance of complete recovery.
Al-Fallatta surrendered to the police on April 19 and originally faced an attempted murder charge, later reduced to severe battery.
Judge Ibrahim Al-Jarbou announced the verdict on Saturday in the presence of Al-Baz’s lawyer, Dr. Omar Al-Khouli, the prosecutor and the husband.
Al-Fallatta “seemed to accept the sentence,” Al-Khouli told Arab News. The six months include time served since his surrender, leaving four and a half months to complete.
The sentence is relatively lenient for such cases, according to Al-Khouli, but the judge took several mitigating factors into consideration. What they were Al-Khouli declined to say.
Rania Al-Baz said she did not wish to comment on the sentence, since she is anxiously waiting for the decision on her divorce and a decision on custody of her child.
Under Shariah, Al-Baz has a private as well as a public claim. The present sentence covers the public claim only. Al-Khouli expects a judgment in the private claim to come some time before Al-Fallatta is released from jail, though it will probably take another month.
If Al-Baz insists on compensation for her suffering, Al-Fallatta could either be ordered to pay damages or, in theory, be given a beating of equal severity to the one he inflicted on his wife. However, in practice the penalty is likely to be monetary, Al-Khouli said.
However, Al-Baz is more concerned about being granted a divorce and full custody of her two boys.
According to Shariah, in the event of a divorce, the mother gets custody of the children until the age of seven; after that, a boy is given the option of staying with his father or mother, with the other parent given visitation rights. Girls are given to the father.
Exceptions are made in unusual circumstances; however, in Saudi courts, judges usually rule in favor of the father, regardless of his character or ability to support the children.
Al-Baz said she stayed with her husband despite his history of violence because she was afraid she would be denied custody of her children. In cases of abuse and other situations in which the father is found unfit to have custody, the wife may get guardianship or permanent custody. Al-Khouli has indicated before that in a case abuse as extreme as Al-Baz’s, the judge could grant her permanent custody.
In the meantime, Al-Fallatta is making the case difficult by refusing to agree to a divorce, which leaves the judge with the option of revoking the marriage contract.
Copyright: Arab News © 2003 All rights reserved.
By Dk Suria Rina PHA
A representative from the Prison Department demonstrates the caning
technique on stage.
Representatives from governmental departments namely Counselling & Career Guidance Unit of the Ministry of Education, Narcotics Control Bureau, Royal Brunei Police Force, the Ministry of Health, the Attorney General's Chambers and the Prison Department held a talk on drug abuse.
The talk held at Sekolah Rendah Pulaie was part of the government's effort to curb the negative activities of the youth that could destruct [sic] their future. The aim of the anti-drug campaign was to create awareness on the risk and effects of drug abuse.
The highlight of the talk was a demonstration by the Prison Department on caning (the dummy) on stage. It's an offence to smuggle drugs into the country as well as distributing it in the country".
According to the Prison Department, the "death penalty" will be imposed on people found guilty of trafficking or selling drugs namely 'Methylenedioxy Methamphetamine' (MDMA/Ecstasy) exceeding 15 grammes, Morfin exceeding 15 grammes, Cocaine exceeding 30 grammes, Ganja exceeding 500 grammes, Diamorphine (Heroin) exceeding 15 grammes, Syabu exceeding 50 grammes, Damar Ganja exceeding 200 grammes and Candu exceeding 1200 grammes.
Copyright © 2003 Brunei Press Sdn Bhd. All rights reserved
By James Kon
Students at the talk.
Dato Basir Primary School yesterday held an anti-drug talk for its students, from Primary Four to Primary Six, at its premises in Kg Perpindahan, Lambak Kanan.
Representatives from the Narcotic Control Bureau, Royal Brunei Police Force, Ministry of Health (Health Promotion and Education units), Attorney General's Chamber, Prison Department and Ministry of Education (Guidance and Career Counselling units) were on hand to send anti-drug messages to the students.
The speakers covered various topics including effects of drug use and punishments faced by drug users in the country.
The talk, which ended with a demonstration of caning done at the Prison Department, was aimed at informing students on the problems surrounding drug abuse.
The talk ended with a ceremony where principal Cikgu Haji Zulkipli bin Haji Ladis presented souvenirs to all officers from the government agencies as tokens of appreciation for their participation.
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
Copyright © 1999-2004 Brudirect.com All rights reserved.
By Kibuuka Lumu
A 32-year-old man of Nakivubo in Wabwooko sub-county, Kayunga district who
was recently found with a stolen panga belonging to the LC1 chairman, asked the
authorities to whip him 70 strokes instead of taking him to jail.
Joseph Kyeye suggested that the theft matter should be solved amicably by not
involving the Police.
The LC had declined to Kyeye’s option, but later agreed to whip him the 70
strokes when residents encouraged him to accept the suggestion.
Kyeye was asked to lie down. Some residents proposed to first pour water on his
bottoms but the chairman said the man had to be respected.
The LC did the whipping as Kyeye took on the counting, but at 20, he burst into
tears, asking for forgiveness, but the LC insisted.
© Copyright The New Vision 2000-2004. All rights reserved.
Staff Writer
RIYADH, 13 March 2004 — A court in Riyadh sentenced a Saudi teacher accused of denouncing religion to three years in jail and 300 lashes. The man was banned from teaching and writing in newspapers.
The court dropped an apostasy charge but found him guilty on other charges of blasphemy. The court took statements from three witnesses under the age of 15 in addition to other teachers at the same school.
According to students, the teacher “allowed” what was religiously forbidden such as homosexuality and adultery. He also referred to the Syrian poet Nizar Qabani as “Nizar (peace be upon him).”
The case began last December with the court hearing a succession of witnesses that praised his morality.
Both the accused and the prosecutor disagree with the verdict.
According to Asharq Al-Awsat, the teacher said, “I was not surprised at the decision. I have expected it since the court put me in prison before I even went on trial.
The judge wanted to impose the maximum punishment on me. They accepted the case from the prosecutor without any investigation.
Copyright: Arab News © 2003 All rights reserved.
Staff Writer
JEDDAH, 9 March 2004 — An expatriate was sentenced to two years in jail and 600 lashes for blasphemy. The incident occurred in front of other workers of the same nationality who complained, Okaz reported, and repeated their testimony in court. The flogging will be carried out in 12 sets with 50 lashes given every 15 days.
Copyright: Arab News © 2003 All rights reserved.
By Tim Clarke
PERTH, March 9 AAP - A West Australian One Nation MP has offered to be the
first recipient of a caning if it helps get corporal punishment introduced onto
the state's statute books.
Frank Hough last week called for the introduction of the cane, or birch, as
punishment for teenagers involved in drunken fights on Perth's streets.
And today Mr Hough said he was willing to be the first recipient of a caning if
Premier Geoff Gallop made corporal punishment a sentencing option for WA's
judges before the end of the government's term.
"I believe in judicial corporal punishment. As a lawmaker, I'm prepared to
subject myself to any penalty that I would prescribe as fitting punishment for
any member of the public who offends," said Mr Hough, who is also One
Nation national director.
"In any justice system it's vitally important that justice must be seen to
be done.
Victims must be vindicated. The feedback I've received since the suburban
riots indicates the majority of Western Australians feel the same way."
In recent weeks, there has been a series of battles in Perth involving drunken
youths and police, the biggest being when 3,000 youngsters were involved in a 90
minute confrontation with a riot squad on Australia Day.
Last week, a 17-year-old partygoer at the centre of a riot in Kalamunda, which
left 11 police officers injured, walked free from Perth Children's Court without
being fined or jailed.
Mr Hough said a generation of "untouchable teenaged thugs and criminals"
deserved corporal punishment.
"This government needs to start punishing violent offenders instead of
good, law-abiding citizens. Properly applied corporal punishment offers more
than a method of punishment or a deterrent," Mr Hough said.
AAP tc/apm/br © 2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP)
or its Licensors.
Staff Writer
BAHA, 5 March 2004 - A judge in Baha has sentenced a fraudster to five years in jail and 2,250 lashes after stealing money from his own bank. The thief, who worked as the bank' branch manager, claimed he was the victim of a bank robbery. The man went so far as to self-inflict injuries to make the story look more realistic. The police investigation unveiled the fraud of more than SR1 million when it found the money hidden in the man' bathroom in his apartment.
Copyright: Arab News © 2003 All rights reserved.
Staff Writer
JIZAN, 2 March 2004 — A Shariah court has sentenced a man to four years in jail and 600 lashes for bewitching a female high school student. The man confessed saying he resorted to magic after all other attempts to get the girl to notice him failed “because of her religious beliefs”. Relatives of the girl say they were alerted to the man’s occult activities when the girl fell ill.
Copyright: Arab News © 2003 All rights reserved.
The London-based human rights organisation Amnesty International has welcomed
the suspension of a flogging sentence against a 16-year-old girl convicted last
year of adultery, but urged the Sudanese dictatorship to treat the case in
accordance to their obligations under international human rights law.
The dictatorship's "chief justice" on Wednesday suspended the sentence
against Intisar Bakri Abd al-Qadir, pending her appeal against it. She was to
have received 100 lashes, with the punishment due to be carried out on Friday.
Benedicte Goderiaux, Amnesty International's programme officer for Sudan, told
reporters that whereas her organisation had not adopted any stance against
Islam, it considered punishments such as flogging, torture, amputation and
execution as cruel, degrading and inhuman. "The sentence was inconsistent
with Sudan's commitments under international human rights law," Goderiaux
said. "Moreover, the girl is below 18. She is a child. Such a punishment
contravenes the right of the child," she added.
According to Goderiaux, the law was applied unfairly against Intisar, whose
pregnancy was used in court as sufficient evidence for a conviction, yet the man
involved only needed four witnesses to prove his innocence.
Intisar's lawyer Ghazi Sulayman, who is also a human rights activist, told
reporters on Thursday that he had appealed against the sentence on the grounds
that she was not only a Christian, and therefore not bound by Shari'ah (Islamic
law), but also that she was still was a minor.
"The chief justice of Sudan ordered a stay of execution and promised to
look at my appeal," Sulayman told reporters from Khartoum. "I am very
optimistic that the high court of Sudan will dismiss the case against her,"
he added.
According the Koran, the Islamic holy book, a man or woman convicted of adultery
is to receive 100 lashes. It also says those who "defame honourable"
women and cannot produce four witnesses shall be given 80 lashes.
The dictatorship based in Khartoum Sudan claims to be implementing Islamic law,
however observers point out that if it really were it would have to amputate its
own hands and legs first.
The girl, who reportedly lives with her mother in a shanty town outside Khartoum,
gave birth in September to a son. The man who she alleged to have raped her has,
however, denied having had any connection with her. The punishment had initially
been postponed because she was pregnant, and then in December because she was in
poor health.
Sulayman criticised the magistrate who had passed the sentence. He went on to
say that he intended to lodge a separate suit against the man who allegedly
raped Intisar. "I will ask for more evidence against the man and even,
where possible, a DNA test to prove the paternity of the child," he said.
By Tahseen Shaghouri
Staff Reporter
In Fujairah
Nine people of different nationalities were sentenced by the Fujairah Sharia
Court to various prison terms and deportation for running a brothel and
committing adultery.
The suspects involved in the case include Nazeer T., Mohammed Q., Hirmala S.,
Riva R. and Mohammed S., all Indians, Mohammed H. and Ruya S., both Bangladeshis,
Mohammed A., a Pakistani, and Bharbar N., a Sri Lankan.
The Fujairah Sharia Court sentenced Nazeer T. and Mohammed Q. to three years'
imprisonment and 90 lashes for running a brothel, exploiting prostitutes,
encouraging vice and committing adultery.
Both were also sentenced to another 80 lashes for drinking alcohol at the
brothel.
Nazeer T. was fined Dh 600 for staying in the country illegally and working for
an employer other than his sponsor.
Mohammed Q. was handed an additional six months' imprisonment for entering the
country illegally.
Ruya S., Hirmala S. and Riva R. were sentenced to three years in jail and 90
lashes for committing adultery and working as prostitutes. They were fined Dh300
each for staying in the country illegally and another Dh300 for working for
someone other than their sponsors.
Mohammed H. and Mohammed A. were also sentenced to nine months in jail and 95
lashes each for committing adultery.
Bharbar N. and Mohammed S. were each sentenced to three months in jail for
committing adultery. The house which served as the brothel was ordered closed
down.
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