The Criminal Justice system in California is broken > hundreds of thousands leaving the state

 Epoch TV

How much does George Soros have to do with the destruction of California? His support for Attorneys-General in America should be criminalized.

Canadian Justice > Horrific murderer gets full parole in B.C.; Australian Justice > Rabid Terrorist keeps his citizenship

..

B.C. teacher granted full parole after strangling pregnant wife

and burning her body in 2006

By Isaac Lamoureux -October 22, 2023

True North News

Authorities have given full parole to an ex-high school teacher from British Columbia who strangled his pregnant wife to death, killing their unborn child and subsequently burning her body. 

Mukhtiar Singh Panghali, a 51-year-old former Surrey, B.C. high school teacher was granted full parole by the Parole Board of Canada after being sentenced to life for the 2006 murder of his pregnant wife, Manjit Kaur Panghali. The incident occurred in their Surrey home, and her charred remains were later found on a beach near Roberts Bank in Delta, B.C.

After killing Manjit, who was four months pregnant, Panghali made a distressing and tearful public appeal seeking assistance in finding his then “missing” wife. The murder was executed while their young daughter was left unattended at home.

Panghali was initially arrested and charged with second-degree murder in 2007. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2011 with no possibility of parole for 15 years. He lost an appeal on his life sentence for second-degree murder in 2012. He was then eventually granted day parole in July 2022, after which he secured full-time employment with an undisclosed company, according to the Parole Board of Canada.

Angela Marie MacDougall, the executive director of Vancouver’s Battered Women’s Support Services, voiced her concerns about the parole decision.

“This tells us everything we need to know about how ineffective the criminal legal system is in meeting any kind of justice for victims of intimate partner and domestic violence,” she told Global News.

Even though the Parole Board found that Panghali had “accepted responsibility for (his) actions and choices.”

“You are assessed as a high risk of violence towards a partner,” stated the Parole Board’s release decision issued on October 6th.

“Should you involve yourself in a relationship, this would be the high-risk situation for you and must be monitored closely by your (case management team) through the relevant special condition to restrict you from initiating relationships with women without the permission of your parole supervisor.”

Several conditions have been imposed on Panghali’s parole, including abstaining from alcohol, participating in a domestic violence treatment plan, and reporting any relationships with women. He is also prohibited from contacting the victim’s family, including his own daughter, who is now being cared for by Manjit’s sister.

Judges in both Canada and Australia have fixed their attention on the rights of criminals and seem to completely disregard the rights of Canadians and Australians to live in relative peace and safety. Major changes are needed in the justice systems of both countries otherwise "Justice System" is just a joke, a bad joke.

Convicted terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika wins high-court bid

to restore his Australian citizenship

by Dominic Giannini, AAP, October 31, 2023:

The Australian citizenship of convicted terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika has been restored by the nation’s highest court.

The High Court ruled on Wednesday that the Home Affairs Minister’s move to strip Algerian-born Benbrika of his citizenship was against the law.

Benbrika was arrested and convicted over plots to attack Melbourne landmarks in 2005, including the AFL grand final at the MCG.

The self-proclaimed Islamic cleric had also called on his followers to kill at least 1000 non-believers to force the Australian government to withdraw troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

His 15-year sentence was due to end in 2020 but the government was successful in obtaining a continuing detention order, with a court ruling he posed an unacceptable risk to the community.

The order extended his detention until this month.

In addition to plots to blow up Melbourne landmarks he also plotted to target Sydney’s Lucas Heights nuclear reactor, and was discussing assassinating then-Prime Minister John Howard….

Canadian Convulsions > Trudeau and Blair pressured RCMP head to influence mass murder investigation; Supreme Court has mercy on mass murderers; Cdn Army working against Israel

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RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki tried to ‘jeopardize’ mass murder

investigation to advance Trudeau’s gun control efforts

JUNE 21, 2022 

BY JENNIFER HENDERSON

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki. Photo: Government of Canada

RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki “made a promise” to Public Safety Minister Bill Blair and the Prime Minister’s Office to leverage the mass murders of April 18/19, 2020 to get a gun control law passed. 

A week after the murders, Lucki pressured RCMP in Nova Scotia to release details of the weapons used by the killer. But RCMP commanders in Nova Scotia refused to release such details, saying doing so would threaten their investigation into the murders.

The Trudeau government’s gun control objectives were spelled out in an order in council issued in May 2020, and were encapsulated in Bill C-21, which was tabled last month, but the concern in April 2020 was the extent to which politics threatened to interfere with a cross-border police investigation into how the killer managed to obtain and smuggle into Canada four illegal guns used to commit many of the 22 murders. 

The RCMP subsequently learned the killer paid a man named Neil Gallivan to purchase one assault-style rifle at a 2019 gun show in Houlton, Maine. The killer also obtained two illegal handguns from a close friend and collector named Sean Conlogue. 

No charges have been laid against either Gallivan or Conlogue, and it’s still unclear why. 

“Reduced to tears”

But the Mounties didn’t have that information on April 28, 2020 — just one week after the murders — when Nova Scotia Supt. Darren Campbell briefed journalists at a news conference. 

Compared to earlier briefings given by Chief Supt. Chris Leather, the head of Criminal Operations, Campbell was much more forthcoming. He answered questions about the timeline for the murders, the possible motivation of the gunman, and the condition and role of intimate partner Lisa Banfield. 

On the firearms question, Campbell told journalists he “couldn’t get into details… because the investigation is still active and ongoing,” except to confirm the gunman had several semi-automatic handguns and two semi-automatic rifles. 

Shortly after the news conference Campbell, Asst. Commander Lee Bergerman, Leather, and Nova Scotia Communications director Lia Scanlan were summoned to a meeting. RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki and a deputy from Ottawa were on the conference call. Lucki was not happy. 

Campbell’s handwritten notes made immediately following that meeting describe what happened:

The Commissioner was obviously upset. She did not raise her voice but her choice of words was indicative of her overall dissatisfaction with our work. The Commissioner accused us (me) of disrespecting her by not following her instructions. I was and remain confused over this. The Commissioner said she told Comms to tell us at H Division to include specific info about the firearms used by [the killer]….However, I said we couldn’t because to do so would jeopardize ongoing efforts to advance the U.S. side of the case as well as the Canadian components of the investigation. Those are facts and I stand by them.

Campbell noted that Lucki went on at length and said she was “sad and disappointed” that he had not provided these details to the media. Campbell continued:

The Commissioner said she had promised the Minister of Public Safety and the Prime Minister’s Office that the RCMP (we) would release this information. I tried to explain there was no intent to disrespect anyone however we could not release this information at this time. The Commissioner then said that we didn’t understand, that this was tied to pending gun control legislation that would make officers and the public safer. She was very upset and at one point Deputy Commissioner (Brian) Brennan tried to get things calmed down but that had little effect. Some in the room were reduced to tears and emotional over this belittling reprimand.

Keeping the death toll from the public

A document released by the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) today — “Public Communications from RCMP and Government After Portapique” — indicates there were earlier sources of tension between National RCMP Headquarters in Ottawa and ‘H’ Division in Nova Scotia over how information concerning the victims would be controlled. 

Lia Scanlan was the director of strategic communications for the RCMP in Nova Scotia. She told the commission the national RCMP HQ was aware a news conference was planned for 6pm on Sunday evening, April 19, 2020, and it was “explicitly stated that we were doing all the communications.”

During this first surreal briefing only hours after the gunman and been shot and killed by police, most of the focus was on the murder of RCMP Cst. Heidi Stevenson rather than the murders of multiple civilians. Only 10 minutes into the press conference, and in response to a reporter’s question, Chief Supt. Chris Leather shocked most Nova Scotians when he confirmed there were “in excess of 10 victims.”

Leather had been told one hour before the briefing there were at least 15 confirmed victims at 15 crime scenes, with the possibility of more. Many who watched the live briefing observed the RCMP officer appeared like a deer caught in headlights. 

But Nova Scotia ‘H’ Division did not have control of the message.

Contravening the agreed protocol, throughout the early hours of Sunday evening, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki agreed to a number of one-on-one interviews with reporters. At 7:36pm, CBC News quoted Lucki as stating there were 13 victims; at 7:40pm, CTV reported Lucki had said 14 victims; and at 7:56pm, the Canadian Press quoted Lucki as having confirmed 17 dead, including the gunman. 

The public and the press corps were both confused and alarmed.

“So how does it happen that Commissioner Lucki….?”, MCC lawyer Krista Smith started to ask Communications director Lia Scanlan during an interview last February.

“I don’t know, ask National Headquarters,” retorted Scanlan.“The commissioner releases a body count that we (Communications) don’t even have. She went out and did that. It was all political pressure. That is 100% Minister Blair and the Prime Minister. And we have a Commissioner that does not push back.”

At 10:21 Sunday night, Lia Scanlan emailed Sharon Tessier, the senior communications manager at RCMP National Headquarter, and two colleagues asking them to speak to Lucki about releasing victim information:

Can I make a request that we stop changing the number of victims. Please allow us to lead the release of information. It looks fragmented and inconsistent. I spoke with the Commanding Officer tonight and we will be updating this tomorrow. 

We knew at the time of the press event it was more than 10 (victims) but that is what we came to ground on for the event. That is our plan tomorrow, to update as our members continue their jobs and discover more crime scenes and bodies. The changes in number are causing our phones to ring off the hook…

For consideration, Lia

Despite the frustration of journalists and citizens trying to grasp the magnitude of what had happened in northern Nova Scotia, the reporting of the number of deceased would continue to change over the next couple of days. 

At the second news briefing held Monday April 20 at 2pm, Leather said “I can confirm there are 19 victims but we expect there may be more.”  Asked why, Leather suggested that because so many homes had burned to the ground, it might take longer to find and identify other victims. 

That sounded reasonable. Unfortunately, it didn’t square with notes from the Major Crimes Investigation unit. The notes show Investigators had confirmed 22 victims as of 11pm the previous Sunday night. At the 2pm news conference Monday afternoon, RCMP in Nova Scotia said they could not release the names of the civilian victims until the Medical Examiner had completed forensic identifications. But by 5:25pm that same day, the MCC document shows all next-of-kin families of victims had been notified so there was no compelling reason not to release the names.

Ultimately, the RCMP didn’t release the names until after media outlets, including the Halifax Examiner, had independently reported them.

In Ottawa, Public Safety minister Bill Blair and Commissioner Lucki conducted their own media briefing on Monday at 2:30pm.

The senior Communications manager from RCMP HQ, Sharon Tessier, had called Nova Scotia Comms earlier in the day to say HQ supported releasing the names of all victims. During his briefing Blair announced that the killer’s victims included “a nurse, a teacher, corrections officers, a serving police officer, parents, neighbours, and friends.” Blair and Lucki talked about “18 lives” being lost, adding to the inconsistency and confusion over how large a tragedy had occurred.

On Tuesday April 21, RCMP in Nova Scotia posted information on its Facebook account that named the communities where the killer had taken lives and confirmed a total of 23 victims. Later in the day that number was adjusted to 22 and the revised post acknowledged the killer had been shot and killed by police.

4 convicted Alberta multiple murderers can now apply for parole earlier

Derek Saretzky, Edward Downey, Joshua Frank and Jason Klaus

can all now apply for parole after 25 years

CBC News · 

Posted: Jun 25, 2022 11:39 AM MT

Edward Downey, top left, Jason Klaus and Joshua Frank, bottom left, and Derek Saretzky, right, all had their

parole ineligibility sentences reduced on Friday to 25 years. (RCMP, Court Exhibit, Derek Saretzky/Facebook)

An Alberta court has granted the appeals of four convicted multiple murderers, giving them all the chance to apply for parole after serving 25 years.

On Friday, in three separate cases, the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled that Derek Saretzky, Edward Downey, Joshua Frank and Jason Klaus will all have their sentences varied to make parole ineligibility periods run concurrently.

The court of appeal's decisions mean the four men can be eligible for parole at an earlier date — compared to the parole eligibility dates that were initially handed to them when they were sentenced.

The decisions follow a Supreme Court of Canada ruling in May that decided Alexandre Bissonnette, the gunman who killed six men at a Quebec City mosque in 2017, will be allowed to apply for parole after 25 years.

Canada's highest court found sentencing rules, that allowed judges' discretion to hand out consecutive parole ineligibility periods, unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court said those punishments "bring the administration of justice into disrepute" and are "cruel and unusual by nature."

What is more cruel and unusual than putting vicious murderers back on the streets?

Eligibility to apply for parole does not mean it will be granted, and a life sentence means an offender will be either in prison or on conditions for their entire lifespan.

Saretzky, a former resident of Blairmore, Alta., was convicted in 2017 for three counts of first-degree murder in the 2015 deaths of Terry Blanchette, his two-year-old daughter, Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette, and a neighbour, Hanne Meketech, 69.

Saretzky was originally sentenced at age 22 to life in prison, with no chance of asking for parole until he is 97.

His lawyer, Balfour Der, said the reduced parole ineligibility gives Saretzky an opportunity to apply for parole when he is 47 years old.

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Canadian army helping Palestinians take over Judea and Samaria

 July 7, 2022

Canadian army helping Palestinians take over Judea and Samaria. A Canadian soldier stands with Palestinians

in Area C of Judea and Samaria. (Regavim via TPS)

 

Watchdog has documented Canadian military personnel patrolling in uniform

in Judea and Samaria.

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

In recent weeks, a delegation of senior Canadian military personnel has been documented patrolling in uniform in Area C in Judea and Samaria, including at an illegally-built structure, the Regavim organization reported Thursday.

Area C is under full Israeli security and civilian control, as per the 1993 Oslo Accords.

Last week, a high-ranking Canadian army officer, together with a delegation of Canadian military personnel, visited an illegal structure built on state land belonging to Maon in the southern Hebron Mountains, where he met with Arabs from the area.

The delegation was also hosted by the IDF’s Central Command General Yehuda Fuchs, hence their identity is known and their presence on the ground is known to IDF officials.

The illegal building that the Canadian delegation visited was erected during the night within a few hours, in Area C on land designated for agriculture and belongs to the nearby Israeli community of Maon.

The Israeli residents of the community appealed to the IDF and the Civil Administration to stop the work and demolish the building. According to them, the Civil Administration has pledged to enforce the law but so far has not done so.

Shortly after the referral to the Civil Administration, the visit of the Canadian delegation, which included two uniformed military personnel, was documented.

The delegation was also documented during a visit to the village of Zurif near the community of Carmi Tzur in Gush Etzion, and this week they were discovered again in a meeting with Arabs near the village of Kisan in eastern Gush Etzion, also in Area C.

“Imagine that Chief of Staff [Aviv] Kochavi would walk around the Canadian border wearing a uniform with ranks on his shoulder and reinforcing criminal border smugglers,” said Meir Deutsch, Regavim’s Director-General.

“Is Canada planning to start a war with Israel? A senior military figure from a foreign country who encourages criminals who have invaded the country’s lands under the auspices of the PA is utterly insane and a blatant and rude move against the State of Israel,” he stated.

 

Deutsch added that “as long as the State of Israel sees itself as a guest in Judea and Samaria and does not conduct itself as the landlord, the rest of the world will also see the State of Israel as a guest and not as the landlord.”

Seven new illegal buildings every day

The Regavim Movement, which combats illegal takeover of state lands, recently revealed new mapping data on the frightening scope of the PA’s takeover of Israeli land in Area C, including the extent of illegal Arab construction in the area.

Between the years 2019-2021, the Arabs built 5,097 new illegal structures, in areas under the full control of the State of Israel. This means that every day, about seven new illegal buildings are added to the area. The total number of illegal Arab buildings in Area C is 72,274.

At the same time, a PA-guided agricultural takeover of 7,125 dunams of land under Israeli control was recorded during this two-year period, reaching a total of 93,071 dunams, meaning that Israel is rapidly losing lands in Area C to illegal construction projects executed by the PA.

In 2009, then-prime minister of the PA Salaam Fayyad laid out the Plan for the Creation of the State of Palestine, a methodical program for seizing control of territory in Area C, under full Israeli control as prescribed by the Oslo Accords, to form a broad and viable basis for a Palestinian state, specifically in the areas under Israeli control.

Fayyad’s plan essentially bypasses all negotiations or compromises with Israel and creates facts on the ground.

==========================================================================================

Case of Man Caught with 27,500 Fentanyl Pills in Chilliwack Thrown Out Due to Charter Breach

‘Ambiguous’ signal by drug sniffer dog Doodz leads to B.C. Supreme Court decision

Canada's insanely inadequate justice system

sentences British Columbians to death

PAUL HENDERSON, Chilliwack Progress

 A man caught with 27,500 fentanyl pills in a van at a traffic stop in Chilliwack is free and clear after a B.C. Supreme Court justice dismissed charges due to Charter violations.

Sandor Rigo was driving a mini-van on Highway 1 on April 4, 2017 when he was pulled over by Cpl. Clayton Catelier, a police service dog handler with Fraser Valley Traffic Services, according to a decision posted on Jan. 21.

Catelier noticed a strong odour of cologne or air freshener in the minivan and several cellphones between the driver and passengers seats, both indicators of possible drug dealing.

Cpl. Catelier also noted that Rigo was “shaking violently.” Based on those three factors, and that Rigo had a “nonsensical” story about why he was travelling between Vancouver and Calgary, the officer detained Rigo for a drug investigation.

There have been 1,380 overdose deaths in B.C. this year: Coroner

The officer then deployed his police service dog, Doodz, to the exterior of the van. What happened next was the subject of some ambiguity, as Doodz seemed to be “in odour” (i.e. detecting drugs) and was bouncing her nose, wagging her tail and sniffing hard.

The dog then did a partial sit or attempted to sit but was blocked by a curb. Sitting is the indication the dog has found narcotics. Catelier then advised Rigo that Doodz had detected narcotics, and he was under arrest.

Rigo was transported to the Chilliwack detachment, and the vehicle was towed to a local tire shop. An initial search of the vehicle turned up nothing, but on closer attention, Catelier opened the housing over the right rear well and found five bags filled with fentanyl pills.

Defence called a former Anaheim County police dog handler deemed an expert who was critical of the video of Doodz’s behaviour and Catelier’s dog handling. Much of the decision in the voir dire addressing the alleged Charter violations was focused around the dog’s search.

In his written decision, Justice Michael Brundrett found that Catelier lawfully detained Rigo, he had reasonable grounds to conduct a dog-sniff search, but he questioned the purported alert by Doodz.

“I have found that the final sit confirmation was ambiguous and not sufficiently objectively reliable such that it adequately adds to the overall

totality of circumstances so as to justify a search of the vehicle,” Justice Brundrett wrote.

OMG! Judge, it's a dog! It doesn't know all the intricacies of hypervigelant judges. His handler is the best person to interpret what the dog is attempting to convey, not a supreme court judge, nor a handler from 2000 miles away.

Your overzealousness in protecting a moron dealing in fatal drugs will undoubtedly lead to the deaths of Canadians, and probably many Canadians. It's quite possible, Rigo is already responsible for the deaths of Canadians. 

Canada's justice system is insanely stupid - constantly vigilant for the rights of criminals and murderers, and not caring the least for victims and potential victims.

Quelle folie!

Brundrett concluded the subsequent search was a violation of section 8 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. He also found the officers involved did not properly offer Rigo the right to contact a lawyer, therefore there was also a violation of section 10(b) of the Charter.

‘Support Gay Marriage’: Cake Row Case to be Heard at UK Supreme Court

War on Christianity - Faith and Rights in N Ireland

© Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

A Northern Irish bakery found to have discriminated for its refusal to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple with the slogan “support gay marriage,” will have its appeal heard in the UK’s Supreme Court in Belfast today.

Daniel and Amy McArthur’s Ashers Bakery has twice been found to have discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation for refusing a cake order made by gay activist Gareth Lee in 2014. The McArthurs have said they cancelled the order because the cake’s message conflicted with their religious beliefs as evangelical Christians.

Gareth Lee had wanted to celebrate International Day Against Homophobia, which was to take place on the same day as his wedding, with the pro-gay marriage message on the cake. Same-sex marriage is a devolved issue for the UK, which Northern Ireland has not legally recognized – unlike the rest of the British Isles.

Describing how he felt at being refused his wedding cake order, Lee told the initial hearing in 2015 that it made him “feel I’m not worthy, a lesser person and to me that was wrong.”

Arriving at court today before the hearing, the McArthurs insisted that it has never been about the person, but rather “always been about the message,” the BBC reports.

Daniel McArthur told reporters: “We didn’t say no because of the customer; we’d served him before, we’d serve him again. It was because of the message. But some people want the law to make us support something with which we disagree.”

The case appears to be a clash over faith, freedom, and rights. A 2016 judgement handed down by Northern Ireland’s lord chief justice, Sir Declan Morgan, said that the ‘appellants’ [the McArthurs] should not “provide a service that only reflects their own political or religious message in relation to sexual orientation.”

Why should that not be their choice? Why should they be forced to offend God so as not to offend gays? Sir Declan Morgan obviously doesn't believe in God, at least, not a real God or he couldn't have made such an asinine ruling. 

What a remarkable transition we have made from a moral society to a just society. We've made it of no account to offend the living God Who created us and Who suffered and died for us and Who will stand in judgment over us. But instead it is a criminal offence to offend someone who offends God by their actions and their rejection of His warnings.

...and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; - 2 Peter 2:6

...just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. - Jude 1:7

Five supreme court justices will hear the McArthurs’ appeal in Belfast: the president, Lady Hale, the deputy president, Lord Mance, Lady Black, Lord Hodge, and Lord Kerr. It’s the first week that the UK Supreme Court has sat in Northern Ireland.

Rosneft Chief Sechin Gives Testimony in $2mn Bribe Trial of Ex-Economy Minister

Corruption is Everywhere - Certainly in Russia

Igor Sechin, CEO, Chairman of the Management Board, Deputy Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Rosneft oil company © Michael Klimentyev / Sputnik

Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin has testified as a witness at a closed trial into an appeal filed by former Russian Economy Minister Aleksey Ulyukayev, who was sentenced to eight years in prison for receiving a $2 million bribe.

Rosneft is a state-controlled oil and gas company based in Moscow and is Russia's third largest company in terms of revenue.

Rosneft headquarters,

Sofiyskaya Embankment, Moscow

The Tuesday testimony was Sechin’s first personal appearance in court as part of Ulyukayev’s case. He turned down a court summons several times in 2017 during the initial trial, citing his busy schedule and foreign business trips as the reason for the decision. Back then, Sechin asked his attorneys to present the testimony he had given to investigators before the start of the hearings and confirmed that his position had not changed.

The defense argued that Sechin was dodging a personal appearance and violating due process, while critics accused him of being arrogant and considering his position to be above the law. The issue was even raised at an annual Q&A session with President Vladimir Putin, but the Russian leader refused to criticize Sechin’s behavior.

Sechin’s Tuesday testimony was closed to the press at the demand of prosecutors, who said that an open process could lead to leakage of commercial secrets belonging to the Bashneft oil company, the privatization of which was behind the initial trial. Prosecutors confirmed, however, that the court was looking into the purchase of Bashneft stock by Rosneft – the deal which, according to investigators, required Ulyukayev’s approval and for which the ex-minister demanded a $2 million bribe.

Aleksey Ulyukayev

On Thursday, Sechin said that he made a personal visit to the court as soon as he had the opportunity and added that he always felt personal responsibility for fighting corruption.

“I hoped that the first instance court would accept my written testimony, but unfortunately this has not happened. This is why I personally came to the court as soon as I had the opportunity to do this. This is a matter of principle for me, I want my testimony to be taken into account. I am the main witness, this is a matter of honor to me,” the Rosneft CEO was quoted as saying by TASS.

After the testimony was delivered, Ulyukayev’s defense team announced that the information disclosed would force them into changing their position in the process, but did not elaborate. Defense attorneys also asked for the court session to be adjourned until Monday to allow more time for preparation, although this request was refused.

When journalists asked presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov to comment on Sechin’s appearance in court, the official answered that the issue “had no relation to the Kremlin.” He added that he possessed no information about the court process and could not answer questions about it.

Former Russian Economy Minister Ulyukayev was detained in November 2016 on charges of receiving a $2 million bribe in return for his ministry’s support for a deal that would allow state oil company Rosneft to purchase the government’s stake in another Russian oil giant, Bashneft.

The charges were based on testimony from Rosneft CEO Sechin, as well as evidence of a sting operation, in which Sechin personally handed a bag with marked dollar bills to Ulyukayev. The court concluded that “Ulyukayev acted under a preconceived plan, motivated by personal gain and with full understanding that the process of the privatization of Bashneft depended on his decisions,” and sentenced the ex-minister to eight years in prison as well as a fine of over $2.2 million.

Ulyukayev pleaded not guilty at the start of the trial and continues to maintain his innocence, claiming that the incident was “a monstrous provocation” set up by Sechin and his allies in the security services. The defense team has filed an appeal seeking full acquittal, but has not presented any new materials in the case, insisting that the court reconsider its ruling on the basis of the existing testimonies and records.

Ulyukayev also asked the court to allow his wife, Yulia Khryapina, to act as his defender in the appeals trial, but the request was denied as Khryapina is not a certified lawyer and has not studied the documents in the case.

On Thursday afternoon, the Moscow City Court ruled to leave Ulyukayev’s sentence of 8 years in prison unchanged, but excluded from it the part banning for life the ex-minister from assuming state posts.

Kind of like Brazil where they expect politicians to be crooked (3rd story on link) and happily vote them back into office, if they can stay out of prison long enough. How sad is that?

Court Orders Halal Supermarket in Paris to Close Because it Sells No Pork or Wine

Islamization - in France

 © Loic Venance / AFP

A French court has ordered a halal grocery store in Paris to shut down because it did not sell pork and alcohol, and failed to cater for the needs of the customers.

The Court of Nanterre ruled on Monday that the “Good Price” mini-market in Colombes failed to comply with the conditions of its lease, according to which the grocery must act as a "general food store,” La Liberation reported.

The court ordered the termination of the store's lease and the eviction of the tenants. In addition, the owner must pay €4,000 to the local authority in respect of legal costs.

The court ruled that the owner of the store had failed to meet “the needs of all inhabitants of the residential area.” The products that the shop stocked were "restrictive and did not fit the broad concept of general goods,” it added.

Local residents complained that after the halal mini-market replaced a regular supermarket they were not being served properly, with halal products constituting 96 percent of what the grocery shop sold.

The landlord said it was impossible to find bottles of wine or pork on the shelves, even though the lease had been granted for a "general food store." When the owner of the store was questioned at the time, he said, as cited by 20minutes.fr: "It's business. I look around me and I target what I see."

The grocery store’s owner and his lawyer argued that, while being “accused of not selling wine, wine is not part of the general diet." The store has “no obligations to sell it, as it was only a complement to food,” the lawyer said. 

That's almost blasphemy in France! This story fits into Dr. Peter Hammond's scale of effects of an increasingly Muslim society: 

From 5% on, they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. For example, they will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature halal on their shelves — along with threats for failure to comply.

Wisconsin Girl Reaches Plea Deal in 'Slender Man' Stabbing Case

Morgan Geyser, 15, will remain in a state mental hospital

under agreement announced in court

The Associated Press 

On May 31, 2014, rescue workers take a stabbing victim to the ambulance in Waukesha, Wis.

Prosecutors say two 12-year-old Wisconsin girls stabbed their friend nearly to death in the woods

to please the online mythological creature 'Slender Man.' (Abe Van Dyke/Associated Press)

One of two Wisconsin girls charged with stabbing a classmate to impress the fictitious horror character "Slender Man" will plead guilty in a deal that calls for her to avoid prison time, attorneys announced Friday.

Morgan Geyser, 15, will remain in a state mental hospital under an agreement announced in a court hearing two weeks before her trial was set to start. The deal calls for Geyser to be evaluated by doctors who will report to a judge for a determination of how long she should remain in treatment.

Geyser and Anissa Weier were charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide in the 2014 attack on classmate Payton Leutner. Weier pleaded guilty to a reduced charge last month, and a jury later concluded she was mentally ill at the time of the crime. She faces at least three years in a mental hospital.

All three girls were 12 at the time.

Anissa Weier sits in a Wisconsin courtroom on Sept. 14 in Waukesha County Court. In August, she pleaded guilty to a reduced charge, and a jury later concluded she was mentally ill at the time of the offence. (Michael Sears//Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel/Associated Press)

"It's been a tragic experience for everyone" Geyser's attorney, Donna Kuchler, said after the brief court hearing. "Our hearts go out to the victim and her family. And we're very grateful that the district attorney's office gave this case the considering it deserves," she said.

A plea hearing to make the deal official is scheduled for Thursday.

Prosecutors alleged the teenage girls stabbed Leutner 19 times in a wooded area following a sleepover, then left her. The girls planned to walk hundreds of miles north to meet Slender Man in a forest.

Leutner was able to crawl out of the woods in the park to a path where she was found by a bicyclist.

Both girls are now presumed mentally ill at the time of the stabbing. Were they mentally ill before and after the stabbing? Were they so influenced by Slenderman that they became mentally ill? At 12 years old we should have some grasp of reality. Were they pot smokers? Is there an investigation into Slenderman? Did someone controlling Slenderman encourage the girls to do this evil? There are many unanswered questions to this story.

Street Evangelists Convicted of Preaching the Gospel in UK

Two Evangelists Charged. Tried. Convicted.

Yesterday a Bristol Magistrates’ Court in Great Britain convicted two men, Michael Overd and Michael Stockwell on “public order offences.”

What did they do that resulted in their arrest and conviction?

Was it public indecency? Disturbing the peace? Inciting a riot? Sexual harassment? Discharging a firearm? Disorderly conduct?

No. It was none of the above. I had to fact check this story, because it almost sounded like something from Babylon Bee.

Overd and Stockwell are “street preachers.” On June 6, 2016, they publicly proclaimed that Jesus is “the way, the truth and life” and that He is the only way to God, the Father.

Mr Overd, Mr Stockwell and two friends were preaching in Bristol's Broadmead Shopping Centre, in July last year.

The group that gathered was sometimes loud and aggressive, with some swearing and hurling abuse.

The preachers took it in turns to address the crowd, and to answer questions and objections.

There was debate on several points, especially over the differences between Islam and Christian belief. Several hecklers appeared to be supportive of Islam.

At one point, Mr Stockwell had a debate with a Muslim man in which both individuals expressed their opposition to the other's religious beliefs.

'Threatening or abusive words'

The police did not arrive at the scene until about an hour into the preaching.

Video evidence submitted to the court, shows Mr Overd being interrupted and forcibly removed from the scene by a police officer.

According to ChristianConcern.com “during the four-day trial, prosecutor Ian Jackson, claimed: “To say to someone that Jesus is the only God is not a matter of truth. To the extent that they are saying that the only way to God is through Jesus, that cannot be a truth.”

Well, actually, Jesus said it! Seeing as He is the Person Who will decide your eternal destiny, do you really want to call Him a liar?

Further the “prosecutor claimed that quoting parts of the King James Bible in the context of modern British society ‘must be considered to be abusive and is a criminal matter.”

“The prosecutor had argued that free speech must yield to multicultural reality in modern Britain, and that there was a clear threat to violence due to the words of the preachers and the criticism of Islam.”

“The men were found guilty under Section 31 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, for using ‘threatening or abusive words or behavior or disorderly behavior within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be, caused harassment, alarm or distress, thereby, and the offence was religiously aggravated.’”

Michael Phillips, the attorney, representing the street preachers, said:

“This prosecution is nothing more than a modern-day heresy trial – dressed up under the public order act.”

Mr Stockwell said: “Men should be able to proclaim the truth and have diverse differences in the public forum, agreeing to disagree without harm or repercussions. Truth today is the new hate” He charged that Islamists and other radical groups are trying to silence free speech.

Aside from British law, or other possible infractions not correctly reported, here is the Truth. Jesus proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Jesus is the Way to God

In John’s prologue he affirms “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then he concludes, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father…” (John 1:1,14). Jesus was and is Deity. He came in the flesh to show us God and to lead us to the Father.

Jesus is the Truth

“I am the Truth” seems pretty easy to understand. Jesus said he was the embodiment of truth. The essence of truth. The incarnation of truth. John wrote, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” and that He was “full of grace and truth” (v. 17,14).

Jesus is the Life

Speaking of Jesus, the Incarnate Word, John wrote, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (Jn 1:4-5)

In a metaphorical way Jesus himself acknowledged that He was the giver and sustainer of spiritual life. “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” (Jn 6:51)

Islamists may complain. Infidels may criticize. And courts may convict evangelists for preaching Christ. But the Bible is still true. Jesus is The Way. The Truth. The Life.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

Woman Fatally Stabs Daughter in Throat with Crucifix to ‘Rid Satan from her Body’

Juanita Gomez in a booking photo dated Aug. 28, 2016 © Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office

A 49-year-old woman has been arrested in Oklahoma City after confessing to carrying out a gruesome murder of her daughter, whom she believed to have been possessed by evil spirits.

Someone was possessed by evil spirits, but it wasn't the daughter.

The killing was discovered last Saturday by Francisco Merlos, who went to visit his girlfriend, 33-year-old Geneva Gomez, only to be met by her mother Juanita.

Juanita had previously disliked Merlos – accusing him of theft - and encouraged her daughter to break up with him only two days earlier, but now dragged him into the house, where he hugged her to try and put an end to the feud.

But when he requested to see Geneva, there was no reply, and when he came into the living room, he saw a grotesquely disfigured body.

“She was laying on her back with the cross on her chest, and you couldn’t even recognize her face,” Merlos told the Oklahoman.

Overcome with horror, Merlos attempted to escape, struggling out of a choke-hold by Juanita, who babbled “incoherently” about the devil and money.

He called the police, who arrived within minutes, to encounter Juanita, whose hands were bruised from fighting her daughter, who was resisting her attempts to “rid Satan from her body.”

Gomez then detailed how she murdered her daughter.

"Juanita stated she punched her daughter repeatedly and forced a crucifix and religious medallion down her throat until blood came out of her daughter's mouth," said court documents released on Monday. "Juanita saw her daughter die and then placed the body in the shape of a cross."


© Geneva Gomez / Facebook

She then washed Geneva’s body, prior to the arrival of Merlos.

The older Gomez was handed a suspended 10-year sentence for drug trafficking and gun possession in 2009, but it was not clear if she had a history of mental illness. Friends and neighbors speaking to the local media said that mother and daughter, who had a relatively small age gap, had been very close to each other.

During her arraignment, which was done through video link, Gomez refused to mention her deceased daughter, and instead spent time complaining about the lack of toilet paper in her cell, and claiming she’s got “the best lawyer in town,” under the name of Blaine. Online records showed that Gomez, who refused a public defender, has not hired a lawyer.

Gomez ended her statement by asking the judge, “Do you believe in God? I do.”

Wonderful! Unfortunately you do not know Him from Satan. If she didn't have a history of mental illness, she does now. Demonic beings are, I believe, very often present in insanity either because of it, or as the cause of it. Demonic beings often try to desecrate that which is associated with Jesus Christ, ie the crucifix. When you see such things happen, you know evil is involved.

Sharia Police in Germany, Yes, No

German court drops provocative ‘Sharia police’ uniform case

© KacemOfficialPage / Facebook

A German court has refused to press criminal charges against a squad of “Sharia Police,” who “patrolled” the streets of Wuppertal in self-styled “uniforms.” The group alarmed locals last year by preaching Salafist morals outside of casinos and bars.

A Wuppertal city district court rejected a case against the controversial self-declared ‘Sharia police,’ saying the orange safety vests worn by the group did not breach any laws. The court said that the bright neon vests that bore the inscription do not form any intimidating or threatening messages and furthermore could not be confused with a real police uniform.

Hmmm. Isn't the word 'Sharia' intimidating?

The young men from Salafist movement, an ultra-conservative reform movement within Sunni Islam, caught the attention of authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia’s city as they were preaching in public places calling on people to refrain from bad habits.

The group was seen in the city’s nightlife area in September last year while trying to urge people to stop using alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography and other activities. They also reportedly distributed leaflets with the same guidelines.

Their actions cause a wide public outcry from both the local residents and the politicians who rejected the use of Sharia law in Germany.

“We will not tolerate an illegal parallel justice,” warned Justice Minister Heiko Maas at the time.

“Sharia law is not tolerated on German soil,” Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere echoed the message. While Bavaria’s interior minister Joachim Herrmann described 'Sharia police' actions as a “direct attack by the Salafists on our rule of law.”

In early August this year, the Wuppertal Public Prosecutor had filed a case against nine Salafists, aged 24-35 for violating the ban on uniforms. Prosecution argued that wearing 'Sharia Police' insignia on the safety vests was a criminal offense, and argued that uniformity of dress code of the Muslim activists equated to wearing uniforms.

Wednesday court ruling however said that only symbols of organized violence or insignia of known militant groups are prohibited.

I wonder if this will be appealed to a higher court?

While dismissing the criminal charges against the group, the court said that they will pursue charges against a 34-year-old leader of the movement Sven Lau accused of infractions against the law on freedom of assembly.

Richard Glossip: Oklahoma Halts Execution 'to Check Drugs' - Insane, Just Insane

US and Oklahoma treatment of Glossip borders on Muslim treatment of dissidents

BBC
From the section US & Canada

Supporters of Glossip celebrate the stay Reuters

A man convicted of ordering his boss's murder has had his execution postponed at the very last minute, due to uncertainty over the lethal drugs.

Richard Glossip looked certain to die by injection in Oklahoma on Wednesday afternoon after the US Supreme Court rejected his appeal.

But Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has asked for more time to check if the drugs are compliant with state rules.

Pope Francis had urged her to halt the execution.

His archbishop had written to her and urged her to act to commute the sentence, but she said she did not have the authority to do so.

An hour after Glossip was due to be put to death, Ms Fallin announced that she was rescheduling the execution for 6 November.

Circumstantial evidence, or the testimony of one

 person who clearly benefits from such testimony,

should never be justification for execution in 

any sane country

OK, enough is enough! How many times can you bring someone to within minutes of execution only to delay it for a couple weeks so they can do it all over again. Is this not cruel and unusual punishment? Is this really much better than Saudi Arabia's torture of Ali Mohammad al Nimr, or Raif Badawi?

Based entirely on the confession of the admitted murderer, who got to escape the death penalty by implicating someone else, the guilty finding is pathetic. Then to sentence him to death based on that flimsy self-serving 'evidence', is hardly believable. You might expect something like this in Sudan or Iran, but it should never even be possible in a modern country, especially one that considers itself the best country in the world.

I'm not entirely opposed to the death penalty, but it should never be invoked without 'hard' evidence! Circumstantial evidence, or the testimony of one person who clearly benefits from such testimony, should never be justification for execution. It is well known that innocent people are executed in the US with disturbing frequency. It is very disturbing that this doesn't seem to faze anyone in the courts system or the government.

She said prison officials had received potassium acetate for use in the execution, as one of the three drugs used, but state guidelines only list potassium chloride.

Department of Corrections Director Robert Patton said he requested the stay of execution "out of due diligence".

Richard Glossip who is pictured (left) has maintained his innocence for nearly 20 years. (Getty Images)

Glossip has refused plea deals because he says he is innocent

Glossip's boss Barry Van Treese, the owner of the Oklahoma City motel, was beaten to death in 1997.

His colleague Adam Sneed was convicted of the killing but said Glossip had ordered him to carry it out.

Glossip and his family have maintained his innocence for nearly 20 years, saying that Sneed acted alone.

He was first convicted in 1998 but that was overturned in 2001, only for Glossip to be convicted again three years later.

In the most recent appeals, his lawyers said they had an affidavit from another inmate who said Sneed admitted to setting Glossip up.

British billionaire Richard Branson took out a full-page ad in The Oklahoman newspaper on Wednesday that argued Glossip is innocent.

Anti-death penalty activists rally outside the US Supreme Court in a final
attempt to prevent the execution of Oklahoma inmate Richard Glossip
 on 29 September 2015 in Washington Getty Images

Executions have been delayed recently in the US amid problems buying drugs as many firms have refused to sell them.

Oklahoma's drugs procedures have been under scrutiny since a flawed execution in April 2014.

Clayton Lockett struggled for 43 minutes before eventually dying, after an intravenous line was improperly placed.

It's just unfathomable that Americans would not know how to kill a person efficiently.

The Pope had also intervened in the case of a woman in Georgia, but Kelly Gissendaner was put to death on Tuesday.

During the pontiff's visit last week to the US, he urged Congress to abolish the death penalty.

Farkhunda's Revenge

A Martyr and genuine heroine

My hero for the month of March

Farkhunda. Had she been Christian she would have been beautiful,
her mouth would have shown a smile and there would be life in her eyes

Four Afghan men have been sentenced to death over the mob killing of a woman in Kabul in March.

The 28-year-old woman called Farkhunda was beaten to death after being accused of burning a copy of the Koran, although witnesses say she did not.

Farkhunda's ashes

It took just four days for the verdicts to be reached. Eight men were sentenced to 16 years in prison and 18 others found not guilty.

A decision in the case of 19 policemen accused of failing in their duty to prevent the attack is expected on Sunday.

Farkhunda's brother told the BBC that the family were not satisfied with the verdict and that all of the main defendants should be put to death.

The incident led to widespread protests against the treatment of women
Farkhunda was speaking for a more orthodox Islam

Farkhunda had argued with an amulet seller about his practice of peddling charms to women at the well-known Shah-Du-Shamshaira shrine, which is within walking distance of the presidential palace and Kabul's main bazaar.

The amulet seller is one of those sentenced to death on Wednesday.

In the course of the argument Farkhunda was accused of burning the Koran and a crowd overheard and attacked her.

In confession statements read in court, some of the accused admitted they had been drawn in by the claims. An official investigator has said there is no evidence she burned the Koran.

The beginning of the trial of Farkhunda's murderers was televised

Analysis: Waheed Massoud, Editor, Afghan service, Kabul

Defendants attend their trial at the Primary Court in Kabul, Afghanistan

The beginning of the trial was broadcast live on Afghan television

There have been mixed reactions among the Afghan public following the court's decision.

Some have welcomed it and say Farkhunda's family have finally been given justice.

However, the Afghan judicial system is widely seen as corrupt and many others have criticised the court's proceedings.

Kangaroo courts are common across the country, especially in areas where the government does not have full control and where tribal elders and local strongmen act as a self-appointed judiciary.

Even in the cities where people can resort to the courts, cases can face long delays and corruption is chronic. The police force is more focused on fighting an insurgency than upholding the rule of law.

The trial today may provide some justice for Farkhunda but it does not reflect the reality of efforts to counter crime and violence across Afghanistan.

Another Farkhunda inspired protest

Violence against women, and violence in general, are common in a country that has been at war for over three decades.

But even against that backdrop, the attack on Farkhunda on 19 March shocked many Afghans, taking place as it did in the heart of the capital and under the eyes of the police.

Farkhunda was beaten to death before her body was driven over by a car, dragged through the streets and then set on fire.

As I have mentioned before, the sudden, dramatic onset of group insanity over a mere accusation of the burning of the Quran is peculiar to Islam. It is also an indication of how Muslims can be instantly 'radicalized' by a simple lie. 

Western countries who gladly accept Muslim immigrants by the thousands are accepting a powder keg with a very short fuse in their midst. One that will quickly and easily explode to bring an end to western life as we know it. It's not a question of if, but when.

Some of the attackers recorded the brutal killing on their cell phones and footage was later uploaded to social media sites, including some that appeared to show a policeman taking part in the attack and pushing Farkhunda onto a roof.

Correspondents say that had it not been for the videos and the nature of the incident, it would have gone unnoticed like hundreds of similar cases, especially in rural areas, many of which never make it to court at all.

The case is not the first where the justice system has rapidly handed down death sentences for a high-profile crime - in October five men were hanged for a gang rape in Paghman district.

In that case, as in the current trial, there were concerns from rights activists over the speed and fairness of the convictions. The televised trial took two hours!