Noble Laureate defends death penalty for drug smugglers

José Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste and winner of Noble Prize for Peace, says that anyone who is caught dealing smuggling or dealing drugs in Timor-Leste will be sent to countries where death sentence applies to drug related charges.

This is despite the fact that the Timor-Leste Constitution, under Section 35 (Extradition and expulsion) says:
1. Extradition shall only take place following a court decision.
2. Extradition on political grounds is prohibited.
3. Extradition in respect of offences punishable, under the law of the requesting State, by death penalty or life imprisonment or whenever there are grounds to assume that the person to be extradited may be subjected to torture and inhuman, degrading and cruel treatment, shall not be permitted.
4. An East Timorese national shall not be expelled or expatriated from the national territory.

Original video from Tempo Semanal: http://bit.ly/djxOKR

Here is a transcript of Ramos-Horta's interview:

We warn the foreigners who deal drugs, if they play with drugs, we will hand them over to Indonesia, to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. They know what they'll get in these countries if you play with drugs. The death penalty, by firing squad. So, Timor will not hold them here, wasting money to feed them in Becora (prison) We will hand them immediately to Indonesia with charges. To Indonesia, to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. They have the death penalty. So they shouldn't play with Timor-Leste and bring their dirty business over here, I personally will support their handover to these countries. Even if we have signed the conventions on human rights, when it comes to things that will destroy the society and the youth, I say, hand them to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand or Indonesia or send them to wherever they came from. Even if they have (face) death sentence back in their country.

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• Ramos Horta
• Timor
• Drugs
• Death penalty
• Law
• Justice
• Noble prize

[zivkovicable]

Any one else regretting supporting independence for East Timor?