PENA MORTE: KUWAIT, IMPICCATI TRE ACCUSATI DI OMICIDIO

KUWAIT, 30 GIU - Tre cittadini del Bangladesh, condannati a morte in Kuwait per l'omicidio di una domestica dello Sri Lanka, sono stati impiccati oggi e i loro corpi mostrati a giornalisti e curiosi.

   La sentenza e' stata eseguita in assenza di pubblico ma poi centinaia di kuwaitiani e di stranieri, tra cui alcuni bambini, sono stati invitati dalle autorita' ad avvicinarsi alla forca.

   E' la prima volta in 20 anni che le autorita' espongono al pubblico i cadaveri di persone giustizate ed e' il segno delle difficolta' incontrate dal Kuwait nel contrastare una criminalita' crescente e sempre piu' agguerrita.

   Le esecuzioni sono state portate a termine nonostante gli interventi del primo ministro del Bangladesh Khaleda Zia e dell'organizzazione per i diritti umani Amnesty International che ha invitato le autorita' kuwaitiane a commutare la pena di morte con una ''pena piu' umana''.

KUWAIT: 3 Bangladeshis hanged in Kuwait 30 June

3 Bangladeshis were hanged at Nayif Palace Sunday 30 June after being convicted of killing a Sri Lankan woman. Public Prosecutor Hamid Salih al-Uthman said in a press conference held following the execution, "the 1st suspect passed away 9 minutes after being hanged, 2nd suspect after 13 minutes and the 3rd after 12 minutes." He added that the public hanging would be a deterrent to others in a drive to cut the crime rate and ensure the society's security and stability. He stressed that Kuwait has not been pressured to prevent the public hanging, commenting on what has been published in the press that Amnesty International organization sent a letter that calls for stopping the death sentences.

 Many people were present at Nayif Palace courtyard early this morning but they did not have the chance to see the hanging until after it was carried out, Al-Uthman confirmed saying, "the death sentence is carried out once it is issued and the official and legal procedures are completed."

 Amnesty International organization had called on the Kuwaiti authorities a week ago not to carry out the death sentence against the 3 suspects. 19 people have been hanged since the liberation of Kuwait in 1991 for various crimes.

 The accused Bangladeshis raped and killed the Sri Lankan woman, after breaking into a home, where she was hired as a housekeeper, with the intent of robbery. The accused were handed life sentences by the Court of First Instance, which was later upgraded to hanging by the Court of Appeal.