Group Urges Selangor Ruler To Commute Sirul S Death Sentence

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Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (Madpet) has urged the Selangor ruler to pardon and commute the death sentence imposed on Sirul Azhar Umar.
The former cop was sentenced to death over the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.
“Madpet calls on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the Selangor menteri besar, and the attorney-general to appeal to the ruler to exercise his pardon powers to ensure that Sirul’s sentence is also commuted as what his co-conspirator received,” its spokesperson Charles Hector said in a statement today.
In 2015, the Federal Court overturned Sirul (above) and his co-conspirator Azilah Hadri’s acquittal by the Court of Appeal and restored their conviction and death penalty.
Altantuya ShaariibuuHowever, Sirul fled to Australia in 2015 and has remained there ever since. The country has a policy of not extraditing foreigners facing the death penalty in their home country, in line with its international human rights obligations.
On Oct 10 last year, the Federal Court allowed Azilah’s application to commute his death sentence to 40 years imprisonment and 12 strokes of the rotan, effective from the date of his arrest.
However, Sirul has not applied for a resentencing, meaning that his death sentence is technically applicable.
On that note, Hector said commuting Sirul’s sentence to what Azilah received would be consistent with Article 8(1) of the Federal Constitution which states that all persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law.
“We also urge the government to enact laws to allow the courts to apply the same decision to others charged with joint offences, even if the parties involved may not have filed a review for their sentencing.
“However, we may consider different sentencing if and when there is clear evidence that their contribution in the commission of the crimes is different, or considering other relevant mitigating/aggravating factors.” - Mkini

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