【馬來西亞】應廢止野蠻刑罰

國際特赦組織新聞稿｜2010年2月17日

國際特赦組織呼籲馬來西亞政府停止使用鞭刑。這項呼籲是針對三位婦女因婚外性行為而被處以這種刑罰。這是馬來西亞首次對女性執行鞭刑。

馬來西亞內政部長希山慕丁（Hishammuddin Hussein）今天宣佈，三位女性穆斯林已於2月9日在吉隆坡附近的一所監獄中執行鞭刑。這三位女性和四位男性被伊斯蘭戒律（Shariah）法院認定發生婚外性行為。伊斯蘭戒律法院對於穆斯林（伊斯蘭教徒）的某些事務，例如親屬法，具有司法管轄權。

國際特赦組織亞太區副主任Donna Guest指出：「對這三位女性處以鞭刑只是問題的冰山一角。從2002年至今，馬來西亞當局已經鞭苔超過3萬5千人，大部分是外籍非法移民。」

馬來西亞大多數的鞭刑判決是由一般法院而非伊斯蘭戒律法院作出。2002年通過的移民法修正案增列對違反移民法可處以鞭刑的條文，造成鞭刑判決增加。2009年6月，馬來西亞政府宣佈，從上述修法以後，該國已對47,914位移民判處鞭刑。

「這幾萬件案例顯示鞭刑已在馬來西亞大行其道。馬來西亞政府必須廢除這種殘忍且有辱人格的刑罰，不論針對何種罪行。」Donna Guest表示。

鞭刑可以引起肉體的極度痛苦，並造成持續數月的傷痕。根據國際人權習慣法，這種體罰方式構成殘忍、不人道或有辱人格的待遇，已遭到絕對禁止。

2009年7月，檳城的伊斯蘭戒律高等法院曾判處一位穆斯林女性Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno鞭刑六下，因為她被控於2007年12月在一間飯店的酒吧飲酒。不過她的鞭刑至今尚未執行。

[ENGLISH]

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE
17 February 2010

Malaysia urged to end brutal punishments after women caned

Amnesty International called on the Malaysian government to end caning after three women were subjected to the punishment following their conviction for extramarital sex.

This is the first time women have been subjected to caning in Malaysia.

Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein announced today that three Muslim women were caned on 9 February at a prison near Kuala Lumpur. The women, along with four men, had been convicted of having extramarital sex in the Shariah court system, which has jurisdiction over Muslims in matters such as family law.

“The caning of these three women is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Donna Guest, Deputy Asia-Pacific Director at Amnesty International. “Since 2002 the Malaysian authorities have caned over 35,000 people, mostly non-Malaysians for immigration offenses.”

Most caning sentences in Malaysia are handed down by civil courts rather than Shariah courts. Amendments to the Immigration Act in 2002 stipulate caning for immigration offences, thus increasing the use of this punishment. In June 2009 the Malaysian government announced that they had sentenced 47,914 migrants to be caned since the amendments took effect.

"These thousands of cases point to an epidemic of caning in Malaysia," said Donna Guest. “The Malaysian government needs to abolish this cruel and degrading punishment, no matter what the offence.”

The practice of caning can inflict severe physical suffering and leave damage and scarring for months. Such corporal punishment constitutes cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, which is prohibited absolutely under international customary human rights law.

In July 2009 the Shariah High Court in Pahang sentenced a Muslim woman, Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, to six strokes of the cane and a fine after she pleaded guilty to consuming alcohol in a hotel bar in December 2007. To date her sentence has not yet been carried out.