Let's kill Criminals! -- Ejja noqtlu l-kriminali!

Over the years, I've had several discussions on capital punishment, where people found guilty of a crime from a criminal justice system such as a court, are put to death.  It is known that in 2015, at least 1600 people around the world were so killed, 89% in three countries alone: Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia.  Other countries where this system still exists includes some states in the United States, and China where relevant statistics are not kept (or not published) although it is estimated that thousands are killed yearly.1

 

The International Convention for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) says that this sentence, where not yet abolished, should only be provided for serious crimes according to the laws of the land.  One might perhaps a serious crime to be something like premeditated murder or genocide, however what is serious is not defined by the ICCPR, and probably not everyone would realise that some countries include in this category adultery (Saudi Arabia and the Maldives) and insults to the prophet of Islam (Iran).2

 

Critics of capital punishment (like me) refer to the possibility for manipulation of the justice process  by the state or some other actor, especially where the independence of the judiciary from the government is suspect.

 

Another problem is that any court process, that which leads to the verdict of guilty or not guilty, is anything but perfect, which leads to people being sentenced to death when in fact not really guilty.  This conclusion may be arrived at after the capital punishment may have been carried out, so naturally too late to save that person falsely accused, and therefore another injustice in itself.  A study by the National Academy of Sciences of the United States estimates that of those sentenced to death in that country between 1993 and 2004, 4.1% were mistaken.3

 

Nevertheless, the trigger to me for addressing this subject today was a recent development in the Philippines.  Recently this country has elected a new President.  One of the candidates, Rodrigo Duterte, won the election with the battlecry that criminals related to drugs should be killed immediately, both by police and ordinary citizens.  In other words, he was encouraging the country's citizens to take the law into their own hands, even before he took over the reins of power!4

 

This to me represents a step backwards for the Filipino civil society.  A land's laws are there for members of society to know and agree upon how to live life harmoniously according to their culture and traditions, what sanctions exist for those not following the norms of society, and the processes necessary for the implementation of justice.

 

If someone decides to go and kill someone on suspicion of being a criminal, what justice is there?  Who is deciding upon guilt?  Does everybody autonomously?

 

This is not a discussion about capital punishment.  This is a discussion about widespread assassinations, sanctioned and abetted by the head of state.

 

That politicians win elections on the back of promised to go tough on crime is well known.  Nevertheless, President Duterte has taken matters to the extreme.

 

It seems to me that the Filipino people have made a big mistake.  It may be true that for a short while, or perhaps longer, stories of criminality will decrease, even drastically, due to the fear of those breaking the law that they will disappear from the face of the earth.

 

However how long shall it be before we start hearing about people being accused in error, or in malice, to provoke someone to take matters in his own hands and serve as executioner?  How long shall it be before members of the public deemed politically uncomfortable, critical of the President or favoured politicians, are simply labelled as criminals and subsequently conveniently eliminated?

 

Who is deciding whether an accusation of criminality is true or otherwise?  What will happen to court processes where the defence and prosecution present arguments and their proofs in front of the court, issuing a sentence according to the laws of the land?  What's the use of this if the accused is already killed?

 

The seed has been sown for a dictatoriat where terror rules, fear that permeats all the people, even those that voted for this President.  It is ironic that the path engaged by this country, from whom I have so many friends, started from a democratic process.  This is another example of the negative potential of democracy.

 

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Matul iż-żmien, kelli diversi diskussjonijiet fuq il-piena kapitali, fejn persuni misjubin ħatja ta' reat kriminali minn sistema ta' ġustizzja kriminali bħal qorti, jingħataw il-mewt.  Fl-2015, huwa magħruf li madwar id-dinja nqatlu mill-inqas 1600 persuna, 89% minnhom fi tliet pajjiżi biss - il-Pakistan, l-Iran u l-Arabja Sawdija.  Pajjiżi oħra fejn din is-sistema għadha teżisti tinkludi xi stati fl-Istati Uniti, u ċ-Ċina fejn lanqas tinżamm (jew ma tiġix ippubblikata) statistika ta' dan għalkemm huwa stmat li eluf jinqatlu hemm kull sena.1

 

Il-Konvenzjoni Internazzjonali fuq id-Drittijiet Ċivili u Politiċi (ICCPR) tgħid li din il-piena, fejn għadha mhix abolita, għandha tingħata biss għal atti kriminali serji skont il-liġijiet tal-pajjiż.  Wieħed forsi jifhem li att kriminali serju ikun per eżempju qtil premeditat jew ġenoċidju, imma x'inhu serju mhux definit mill-ICCPR, u probabbli mhux kulħadd jaf li xi pajjiżi jinkludu f'din il-kategorija l-adulterju (Arabja Sawdija u l-Maldives) u insulti għall-profeta tal-Islam (Iran).2

 

Kritiċi tal-piena kapitali (bħali) jsemmu l-possibiltà li l-proċess ta' ġustizzja jiġi manipulat jew influwenzat mill-poter tal-istat jew xi attur ieħor, speċjalment fejn l-indipendenza tal-qorti mill-gvern huwa dubjuż.  

 

Problema oħra hi li kwalunkwe proċess tal-qorti, jiġifieri dak li jwassal għall-verdett ta' ħati jew mhux ħati, huwa altru milli perfett, li jwassal għal nies li jingħataw il-piena tal-mewt meta kienu fil-fatt mhux ħatja.  Din il-konklużjoni tista' tinstab wara li l-piena kapitali tkun twettqet, u naturalment ikun tard wisq, biex isalva lil dak li kien akkużat inġustament, u għalhekk inġustizzja kbira.  Studju ppubblikat min-National Academy of Sciences tal-Istati Uniti jistma li minn dawk issentenzjati għall-mewt f'dak il-pajjiż bejn l-1993 u l-2004, 4.1% kienu żbaljati.3

 

Madankollu, irrid ngħid li dak li wassalni biex nikteb fuq dan is-suġġett illum, huwa żvilupp riċenti fil-Filippini.  Ftit ilu kien hemm l-elezzjoni għall-President.  Wieħed mill-kandidati, Rodrigo Duterte, rebaħ l-elezzjoni bl-għajta li l-kriminali marbutin mad-drogi għandhom ikunu maqtula minnufih, kemm mill-pulizija kif ukoll mill-pubbliku.  Fi kliem ieħor, qed iħeġġeġ liċ-ċittadini tal-pajjiż jieħdu l-liġi f'idejhom, u beda jħeġġiġhom jagħmlu dan anke qabel ma ħa l-ħatra!4

 

Dan għalija jirrappreżenta pass kbir lura għas-soċjetà ċivili tal-Filippini.  Il-liġijiet f'pajjiż qegħdin hemm sabiex il-membri tas-soċjetà ikunu jafu u jiftiehmu kif għandhom iġibu ruħhom għal ħajja armonjuża skont il-kultura u t-tradizzjonijiet tagħhom, is-sanzjonijiet għal min ma jimxix man-normi tas-soċjetà, u il-proċessi li jridu jsiru biex titwettaq il-ġustizzja.

 

Jekk xi ħadd jaqbad u joqtol lil xi ħadd minħabba suspett li hu kriminal, fejn hi l-ġustizzja?  Min se jiddeċiedi fuq min għandu tort?  Kulħadd jiddeċiedi għal rasu?

 

Din mhix diskussjoni fuq il-piena kapitali.  Din hi diskussjoni fuq l-assassinju mifrux fil-pajjiż kollu, bil-barka u l-inkoraġġiment tal-kap tal-istat.

 

Li politikanti jirbħu elezzjoni bl-għajta li jridu jimxu b'id iebsa biex inaqqsu l-kriminalità, smajniha kemm il-darba.  Madankollu, l-President Duterte ħa din l-attitudni għall-estrem.

 

Jien jidhirli li l-poplu Filippin għamel żball kbir.  Forsi veru li għal żmien qasir, jew twil, stejjer ta' kriminalità f'dak il-pajjiż jonqsu, anke drastikament, minħabba l-biża', jew it-twerwir, ta' min jikser il-liġi li se jiġi eliminat minn wiċċ din id-dinja.

 

Imma kemm se ndumu ma nibdew nisimgħu b'persuni li jiġu akkużati bi żball, jew b'ħażen makakka, bil-ħsieb li jinkorla xi ħadd li jieħu l-liġi b'idejh u jservi bħala bojja?  Kemm se ndumu sakemm jibdew jiġu ttimbrati bħala kriminali membri tal-pubbliku li huma politikament skomdi, kritiki tal-President jew il-politikanti li jiffavorixxi, u jiġu konvenjentement eliminati?  

 

Min se jiddetermina jekk akkuża ta' kriminalità hix veritiera jew le?  X'se jsir mill-proċess tal-qorti fejn l-akkuża u d-difiża jippreżentaw l-argumenti u l-provi tagħhom quddiem il-qorti, li taqta' s-sentenza skont il-liġi tal-pajjiż?  X'inhu l-użu ta' dan jekk l-akkużat huwa diġa maqtul?

 

Iż-żerriegħa nżergħet għal dittatorjat fejn il-biżà tirrenja, biża' li testendi għall-poplu kollu, anke ħafna minn dawk li vvutaw għal dan il-President.  L-ironija hi li din it-triq li qabad dan il-pajjiż, li għandi tant ħbieb minnu, bdiet minn proċess demokratiku.  Eżempju ieħor tal-potenzjal negattiv tad-demokrazija.

 

 

1https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2016/04/death-sentences-executions-2015/, retrieved 11/7/2016

2Death Sentences and Executions 2015, Amnesty International Global Report, p. 9

3Rate of false conviction of criminal defendants who are sentenced to death; Gross, O'Brien, Hu & Kennedy; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, Vol. 11, no. 20, p. 7234

4http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/06/asia/duterte-drug-dealers-lethal-force-vigilantism/, retrieved 11/7/2016

1https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2016/04/death-sentences-executions-2015/, retrieved 11/7/2016

2Death Sentences and Executions 2015, Amnesty International Global Report, p. 9

3Rate of false conviction of criminal defendants who are sentenced to death; Gross, O'Brien, Hu & Kennedy; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, Vol. 11, no. 20, p. 7234

4http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/06/asia/duterte-drug-dealers-lethal-force-vigilantism/, retrieved 11/7/2016