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Action
for Tochi
Chee Siok Chin
23 Jan 07
As
some of you may have known, 21 year-old Iwuchkwu Amara Tochi, a
Nigerian national will be hanged by the Singapore authorities
this Friday 26 January 2007.
Our president, Mr. SR Nathan,
has refused to grant clemency to this young man. This is perhaps
not surprising as Mr. Nathan has never granted clemency to any
prisoner on the death row since his presidency in 1999.
However,
the greater tragedy in this case lies in the fact that the
president will not spare the life of an innocent man. After a
13-day trial, High Court Judge Kan Ting Chui pronounced that
"there was no evidence the (Tochi) knew the capsule
contained diamorphine". In addition to that the judge had
said, "there is nothing to suggest that Smith had told him
(Tochi) they contained diamorphine, or that (Tochi) had found
that out of his own."
And yet, despite this lack of
evidence that Tochi knew that he had drugs on him, the Supreme
Court has sentenced him to death. When Chief Justice Chan Sek
Keong took over office last year, he had said, "Let me
emphasise that the strict, but fair and efficient administration
of criminal justice, will remain a key priority...I intend to set
up a panel to review how current sentencing and bail guidelines
can be further rationalized and improved." Where lies the
rationale for a man to be sentenced to death when the CJ's own
colleague in the High Court even doubted Tochi knew he had drugs
on him?
This cold-blooded and mindless act by the
Singapore Government must at least rouse the conscience of the
people. If we remain silent, are we not accomplices of this
horrible execution? Some of us are moved to act when we witness
injustice at its gravest. This is why we have decided to
demonstrate our outrage publicly to bring attention to this
tragic matter.
Human rights lawyer Mr M Ravi, who has been
campaigning tirelessly for Tochi, and I will join a 24-hour
hunger strike launched by European Member of Parliament Marco
Panella to support the campaign currently taking place in Italy,
calling for a worldwide Moratorium on Death Penalty. To sign the
Moratorium, please go to:
http://www.radicalparty.org/sciopero_moratoria/form.php?lang=en
Mr.
Ravi and I will be at Speakers' Corner from 7am on Thursday 25
January and will go on a fast to register our outrage and to keep
vigil with Tochi. We will then proceed to the grounds outside
Changi Prison after 7pm to continue with this until his execution
at 6am on 26 January.
As
a mark of support and solidarity for an innocent man whose life
will be taken from him in a few days from now, please
join us at the Speakers' Corner (Thu, 25 Jan, 7 am–7 pm)
and Changi Prison (7 pm onwards).
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