Summary:
In the article by the Express Tribune (a spin off of the International New York Times), Shafqat Hussain was fourteen years old when he was sentenced to death. However, not to the Karachi police force.
In the article by the Express Tribune (a spin off of the International New York Times), Shafqat Hussain was fourteen years old when he was sentenced to death. However, not to the Karachi police force.
Shafqat was at the age of 23 when his date of execution was declared on March 19 and when (as his family came in on the final hour holding it out at the media) his execution was stayed for 30 days. The reason why this is an issue? Karachi police force stated that he was 23 at the time of incarceration and sentencing. And the fourteen year old was placed in an adult detention facility and received a punishment Pakistan does not allow to be given to minors, no matter the crime.
Police and Karachi prison officials are left at a loss. Admissions registers and statements from Shafqat say that he was 23 at the time of entering Karachi Center Jail. However, now not only is there the birth certificate causing concern, but also evidence has been released that Shafqat was forced to state his non-age under duress by jail officials.
A medical board is now being put into place to evaluate Shafqat Hussain's age.
Analysis:
A crime was committed, that is not what's in question here. There are however two other issues, the reliability of information received from torture, and the reliability of police forces themselves. Personally I believe that anyone has a breaking point to pain, and would say whatever they were told to under enough duress. That information just can't be proven to be reliable. As for the police, why didn't they see this birth certificate 9 years ago? A lot here just doesn't add up, but it's better to go through a month long medical board than be executed for something you did as a child.
Should new evidence be taken truthfully 9 years from the event?
To what extent or at all, do you believe that force should be used in interrogation?
Why do you think that America differs in Pakistan in allowing minors to face capital punishment?
Analysis:
A crime was committed, that is not what's in question here. There are however two other issues, the reliability of information received from torture, and the reliability of police forces themselves. Personally I believe that anyone has a breaking point to pain, and would say whatever they were told to under enough duress. That information just can't be proven to be reliable. As for the police, why didn't they see this birth certificate 9 years ago? A lot here just doesn't add up, but it's better to go through a month long medical board than be executed for something you did as a child.
Should new evidence be taken truthfully 9 years from the event?
To what extent or at all, do you believe that force should be used in interrogation?
Why do you think that America differs in Pakistan in allowing minors to face capital punishment?
No comments:
Post a Comment