Two Iranians sentenced to death for “Insulting Prophet“

 

Two Iranians sentenced to death for “Insulting Prophet“

Two Iranians have been sentenced to death by a Criminal Court in central Iran for “insulting the Prophet Muhammad”.

The two men were arrested and transferred to prison in Arak, the capital of Markazi Province, in May 2020. Both were informed about their death sentences on April 22.

The two prisoners have been identified as Yusef Mehrdad from the northwestern city of Ardabil and Seyyed Sadrollah Fazeli Zare.

The 1st Branch of the Arak Criminal Court sentenced Yusef and the other prisoner to death for “insulting the prophet” and “blasphemy”, which carry the death penalty.

It was not clear what the charge stemmed from.

Mehrdad, a father of three, was detained in his home in Ardabil on May 24, 2020 and was transferred to Arak Prison. He was kept in solitary confinement for two months and was banned from family visits and phone calls for eight months following his arrest.

Yusef Mehrdad has also been accused of “spreading propaganda against the state”, “establishing a group”, “insulting the founder of the Islamic Republic”, and “insulting the Supreme Leader”. His trial was held May last year in the Arak Public and Revolutionary Court.

Before his arrest, Seyyed Sadrullah Fazeli Zare worked as a cabinetmaker and took care of his elderly mother.

Iran executed at least 255 people last year, remaining the world’s second top executioner after China.

The actual figures are higher, as the Iranian regime carries out most executions secretly without anyone knowing except those who carry them out.

The Iranian regime open-handedly uses the death penalty as a form of punishment. In many cases, the religious and ethnic minorities and political dissidents are targets of the death penalty in a discriminatory manner.

Amnesty International said in its annual review of the death penalty published earlier this week that Iran increasingly used the death penalty as a weapon of political repression against dissidents, protesters, and members of ethnic minority groups, in violation of international law.”

Josh Hawley, the only senator who voted against the anti - Asian hate crime bill

 

Political News - United States

Published by Edward Barbacena

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) was the lone senator to vote against legislation on Thursday aimed at combating a surge in anti-Asian American hate crimes.

Hawley, a potential 2024 presidential contender, called the bill "too broad."

"As a former prosecutor, my view is it's dangerous to simply give the federal government open-ended authority to define a whole new class of federal hate crime incidents," he said in a statement.

The bill from Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) requires the Justice Department to designate an official to review coronavirus-related hate crimes and beefs up state and local resources.

As part of a deal with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), she changed the language on what guidance should be offered by the administration from the "best practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language" to guidance "aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic."

Hirono also worked in legislation from Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) that aims to strengthen the reporting of hate crimes and boost hate crimes data, offer support for hate crimes training for law enforcement and establish a hate crimes hotline.

Though Republicans filed dozens of separate amendments to the bill, only three got votes and each failed on Thursday to get added to the legislation.

Hawley last week voted against advancing the bill, along with Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Roger Marshall (Kan.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.).

After that vote, Hawley told reporters he was concerned the measure was "hugely open-ended" and that it "mandates all this data collection in expansive categories that the federal government will collect and maintain."

"It just, you know, the ability and power to define crimes, to define incidents going forward, and collect all that data, it just seemed hugely, hugely over broad," he said.

Cotton, Cruz, Marshall and Tuberville voted for the bill's passage Thursday.

Paul missed the vote on final passage, along with Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.).

US senate passes hate crime bill in response to the increasing rate of violence against Asian Americans.

 

The American New

Published by Edward Barbacana

US senate passes hate crime bill in response to the increasing rate of violence against Asian Americans.

Washington -  The US senate passed legislation on thursday targeting anti - asian hate crimes after numerous incidents of violence against asian americans mostly committed by white americans triggered by the covid-19 pandemic.  Attacks against asians becomes much worse after Trump's term ended.  There were also reports of attacks against Asians were done by blacks Americans and BLM activists. 

US lawmakers approved the proposed bill in a 94 - 1 vote.  Senator Josh Hawley, was the only member who opposed the bill. 

Sen Josh  Hawley, was the only member

   who opposed the proposed bill

The legislation, introduced by Senator Mazzie Hirono, D - Hawaii, in March, would direct the Department of Justice to expedite the review of  different hate crimes occured during the pandemic  in different parts of the United States that were reported to law enforcement agencies and help them find ways to report such absurd incidents online and perform public outreach. 

" Racism has always existed in America and the legacy of anti - Asian sentiment goes back centuries to dark chapters in our history, like the Chinese exclusion act and the internment of Japanese citizen during WWII,"  Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the senate floor thursday before the vote.

" Now, we've made made great strides  since those days but over the past several years the forces of hate and bigotry seem to have gained strength, too often encouraged by our former president ," he continued. " By passing this bill,  the  senate makes it very clear that hate and discrimination against any group has no place in America. Bigotry against one is bigotry against all." 

The vote comes after Schumer urged Republicans not to block debate on overall legislation. 

Thailand sticks to Sinovac after occurrence of neurologic side effect similar to cerebro vascular accident.

 

The Thai News

Published by Mark  Andrew Santiago

Thailand continues to use Sinovac after occurrence of  neurologic side effect similar to cerebro vascular accident.

Bangkok - Thailand will continue to use China's covid-19 vaccine - Sinovac Biotech ( SVA.O) after reports of 6 occurrences of peculiar side effects similar to stroke among recipients, health experts said on Wednesday.

Six health care workers from the province of Rayong east of Bangkok who were inoculated earlier this month experience symptoms similar to cerebro vascular accidents including lethargy and hemiparesis of extremities, the panel of experts said.

There were no blood clots found after series of diagnostic procedures were carried out among recipients and eventually restored physiologic functions after few sessions of therapy.  

The announcement comes amid heightened global focus on efficacy and side-effects from different covid-19 vaccines, and temporary suspensions in some countries, including over reports of blood clots among recipients.

Sinovac didn't respond immediately on an email requesting for comment.

Thailand has received more than two million doses  of China's Sinovac Biotech  that have been administered to more than 600,000 individuals in the country.  It has ordered 1.5 million shots due to arrive soon.

Health experts could not determine the cause of the unusual neurologic symptoms which they concluded that they were related to the nervous system but were not fatal, said Kulkanya  Chokephaibulk of  Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital.

Brain scan were done among six recipients  that showed negative results and occurrences of CVA ( stroke ) was ruled out, and no irregularities were found in the batch of the vaccine where the six doses originated.  Kulkanya said.

Doses from the same batch of vaccine have been distributed to other provinces and more than 300,000 people may have received the shots, and no such effects have been previously reported, she added.