Mirza Tahir Hussain (m)

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24 May 2006
Further Information on UA 118/06 (04 May 2006)
Execution/unfair trial

PAKISTAN Mirza Tahir Hussain (m)

Mirza Tahir Hussain's execution has been postponed by
one month from 1 June, the date on which his execution
was to take place. This is to give his family more
time to seek a pardon from and to offer monetary
compensation to the family of the taxi driver he was
found guilty of killing.

Under the Islamic provisions relating to murder in the
Pakistan Penal Code, the family of a victim of murder
have the right to pardon the perpetrator in which case
he or she is released without further punishment.

Mirza Tahir Hussain was tried and convicted of
murdering a taxi driver while traveling to the village
of Bhubar from Rawalpindi, Punjab Province, on 17
December 1988. The taxi driver reportedly stopped the
car and produced a gun, and Mirza Tahir Hussain, who
was 18 years old at the time, was reportedly
physically and sexually assaulted by the taxi driver.
In the scuffle that followed, the gun went off, and
the taxi driver was fatally injured.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as
quickly as possible:

- welcoming the postponement of Mirza Tahir Hussain's
execution which was due to take place on 1 June 2006;

- calling on President Musharraf to use his powers
under Article 45 of the Constitution of Pakistan to
commute the death sentence against Mirza Tahir Hussain
on humanitarian grounds;

- calling for a moratorium on all executions in
Pakistan, in line with worldwide trends to abolish the
death penalty with a view to the eventual abolition of
the death penalty.

APPEALS TO:

President Pervez Musharraf
Pakistan Secretariat
Islamabad,
Pakistan
Fax: [phone]
Email:
http:/www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentMessage.aspx
Salutation: Dear President Musharraf

COPIES TO:

Ambassador Jehangir Karamat
Embassy of Pakistan
2315 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington DC 20008
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Please send appeals immediately. Check with the AIUSA
Urgent Action office between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm,
Eastern Time, weekdays only, if sending appeals after
1 July 2006.

Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots
movement that promotes and defends human rights.

This Urgent Action may be reposted if kept intact,
including contact information and stop action date (if
applicable). Thank you for your help with this appeal.

Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
600 Pennsylvania Ave SE 5th fl
Washington DC 20003
Email: [e-mail]
www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

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