Hands Off Cain Presents 2013 Report on the Death Penalty Worldwide

July 26, 2013: The presentation of Hands Off Cain's 2013 Report, ‘The Death Penalty Worldwide’, was held at the headquarters of HOC in Rome.

The worldwide trend towards abolition, underway for more than fifteen years, was again confirmed in 2012 and the first six months of 2013.

There are currently 158 countries and territories that, to different extents, have decided to renounce the death penalty. Of these: 100 are totally abolitionist; 7 are abolitionist for ordinary crimes; 5 have a moratorium on executions in place and 46 are de facto abolitionist (i.e. Countries that have not carried out any executions for at least 10 years or countries which have binding obligations not to use the death penalty).

Countries retaining the death penalty worldwide declined to 40 (as of 30 June 2013), compared to 43 in 2011. Retentionist countries have gradually declined over the last few years: there were 42 in 2010, 45 in 2009, 48 in 2008, 49 in 2007, 51 in 2006 and 54 in 2005.

In 2012, executions were carried out in 22 countries, compared to 20 in 2011, 22 in 2010, 19 in 2009 and 26 in 2008.

In 2012, there were at least 3,967 executions, compared to at least 5,004 in 2011, at least 5,946 in 2010, at least 5,741 in 2009 and at least 5,735 in 2008. The decline of executions compared to previous years is justified by the significant drop in executions in China, estimated to be down from about 4,000 in 2011 to about 3,000 in 2012.

In 2012 and in the first six months of 2013, there were no executions in 3 countries where executions were carried out in 2011: Egypt, Singapore and Vietnam.

On the other hand, 8 countries resumed executions: Botswana (at least 1), Gambia (9), Japan (7), India (1) and Pakistan (1) in 2012; Indonesia (1), Kuwait (5) and Nigeria (4) in 2013.

Once again, Asia tops the standings as the region where the vast majority of executions are carried out. Taking the estimated number of executions in China to be about 3,000 (about a thousand less than in 2011), the total for 2012 corresponds to a minimum of 3,879 executions (97.8%), down from 2011 when there were at least 4,935 executions.

In the Americas, the United States of America was the only country to carry out executions (43) in 2012.

In Africa, in 2012, the death penalty was carried out in 5 countries (in 2011 there were 4) – Sudan (at least 19), Gambia (9), Somalia (at least 8), South Sudan (at least 5), and Botswana (at least 1) – where there were at least 42 executions. In 2011 there were at least 24 executions on the entire continent.

In Europe, the only blemish on an otherwise completely death penalty-free zone continues to be Belarus, where three men were put to death for homicide in 2012.

Source: Hands Off Cain, July 26, 2013

Botswana: Inmate on Six Death Sentences Executed

May 27, 2013: A Botswana man who was handed six death sentences for murdering his family after a misunderstanding over food was executed.

The Botswana Prison Service confirmed that Orelesitse Modise Thokamolemo’s hanging was carried out early in the morning at Gaborone Central Prison.

The capital punishment came after a death sentence was imposed on him on December 9, 2010 by the Francistown High Court for the offence.

The Court of Appeal last month struck out an appeal against the sentence.

Thokamolemo had approached the Court of Appeal for both conviction and death sentence.

The trial court found that Thokamolemo killed six members of his family, among them his brother and a four-month-old baby using an axe in January 2008.

“After anxious inquiring of mind of this matter, I also find no misdirection by the trial court in considering the effect of dagga taken by the appellant and giving it weight,” Judge Isaac Lesetedi said last month.

Source: africareview.com, May 28, 2013

South Africa: Argument in deportation case

The Constitutional Court will hear argument on Thursday on whether South Africa can deport a person who committed a capital offence in Botswana without being assured that the death penalty will not be imposed.

Two men approached the High Court in Johannesburg to prevent the government from extraditing them for trial unless Botswana provided a written assurance that they would not be sentenced to death.

South Africa has abolished the death penalty, but it is still in force in Botswana.

Both men were accused of murdering their partners. One of them has since died.

The high court ruled in their favour, but Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe disputed the finding.

They have filed for leave to appeal to the Constitutional Court.

Source: South Africa Press Agency, Feb. 22, 2012

Botswana executes convicted killer

January 31, 2012: In Botswana, death row inmate Zibani Thamo convicted of murder was hanged in the morning.

In a statement the Department of Prison and Rehabilitation confirmed the execution but did not state who carried it out and where the body was buried. However, it is common knowledge that prison warders are the one who carry out the execution and burial in the prison compound.

Thamo was convicted of the 2007 murder of his girlfriend Sihle Dube. The Francistown High Court learnt that Thamo mutilated his girlfriend and scattered her pieces along the Tati riverbank. He was sentenced to death in March 2011 and immediately sought the intervention of the Court of Appeal in September, which upheld the sentence.

His execution leaves three death row inmates being, Modise Tlhokamolelo, Mangombe Tadubane and Gatlhalosamang Gaboakelwe.

Sources: www.mmegi.bw, February 1, 2012

Death penalty continues to complicate Botswana/South Africa relations

Diplomatic relations between Botswana and South Africa will once again be put to the test over the extradition of 4 South African nationals who are wanted for murder in Botswana.

The government of Botswana has launched an application for the 4 to be extradited back here to face murder charges. In the past, South Africa was reluctant to extradite murder suspects to Botswana because she does not support the death penalty.

South Africa has always insisted that Botswana should give guarantees that murder suspects who are extradited will not be hanged.

The issue has once again come to the fore, and Botswana has asked South Africa to extradite the 4, who are accused of brutally murdering an elderly couple in Pitshane Village last September.

The 4 are said to have robbed and killed 2 siblings, aged 60 and 69, and then skipped the border to their native South Africa.

Pitshane police station commander, Thari Senwelo, said on Monday that the suspects illegally crossed into Botswana, where they attended a wedding during the day.

They then visited a drinking spot in the village, and later in the night attacked the elderly siblings, robbing them and killing them with bricks and logs.

"We have not arrested anyone as yet, but we have already identified suspects and we know they are South African nationals,” he said.

He also said they have already notified Interpol about the alleged suspects.

Botswana has in the past refused to give South Africa guarantees that suspects who are extradited to face murder charges will not be executed. A number of people who were facing murder charges in Botswana have also run away to South Africa.

Source: Sunday Standard, May 6, 2010

Botswana: Modise Fly executed

Botswana Prisons Service public relations officer Superintendent Ramolefhe confirmed that Modise Fly was executed for murdering his son Tawana Mosinyi, 2, with an axe in 2008.

Fly was convicted by the Francistown High Court on October 17, 2008, and his appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal.

Fly had appealed his conviction and sentence on the grounds that the killing was accidental.

Source: www.gov.bw, March 26, 2010

Botswana confirms hanging

November 5, 2007: the Botswana Department of Prisons and Rehabilitation confirmed the hanging of death row inmate Sepeni Thubisane Popo, the Mmegi Newspaper reported.

It was Botswana's 39th execution since independence from Britain in 1966. Mmegi quoted senior assistant commissioner Anthony Mokento as saying: 'It is true Popo was hanged.'

Popo was found guilty of murdering Boitshwarelo Balotlegi in Molepolole in 2004 to use his body for ritual purposes.

'Mokento would not reveal the number of people on death row in Botswana, but recent media reports say 'three or four people' are facing execution,' Mmegi said.

Officially, 'Botswana upholds the use of the death penalty in cases of premeditated murder where there are no extenuating circumstances'.

Source: South African Press Association, 06/11/2007