Azilah among 1,000 who applied for death sentence review

 

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has confirmed that convicted killer Azilah Hadri was among some 1,000 detainees who had applied for a review of their death sentences.

Azilah, a former police commando, was initially sentenced to death in 2009 for the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

According to a report by the New Straits Times, Saifuddin said that Azilah, currently on death row in Sungai Buloh Prison, has submitted an application to have his death penalty commuted to a life sentence.

“He has applied for his death sentence because he is here in our prison.

“He is waiting for his (court) date.”

This follows the passing of the Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Bill 2023 in April, which removed the mandatory death penalty for 12 offences, including drug trafficking, murder, treason, and terrorism.

Saifuddin reportedly said that despite Azilah’s accomplice Sirul Azhar Umar being released from immigration custody in Australia, there was no change to the status quo.

Saifuddin was also reported by Bernama as saying that Sirul was not one of those who had appealed to have his sentence reviewed.

He repeated that the Malaysia-Australia extradition agreement could not be invoked because Australia forbids the repatriation of suspects who face the death penalty in their home country.

Earlier this month, after nine years spent in immigration detention in Australia, former police commando Sirul was finally set free and now lives with his family in Canberra.

Despite this, he remained tight-lipped about the mystery surrounding who actually ordered the killing of Altantuya.

“Okay. [For] many years, people in my country waiting about who gave the order. But until now, I cannot tell,” he told Al-Jazeera’s 101 East programme in an interview.

Sirul did not say why he could not reveal the identity of the purported murder mastermind.

Nevertheless, he said that his superior - Azilah - had told him that they were conducting a “special operation” for Najib Abdul Razak, who was the deputy prime minister and defence minister at the time.

Najib has since reiterated his innocence and non-involvement in the murder via his lawyers at Shafee & Co.

“We wish to reiterate that our client Najib has been conclusively exonerated of any involvement in this case.

“This exoneration has been affirmed by relevant authorities, including investigations restarted post-GE14 (2018) and a reaffirmation by the High Court, Court of Appeal, and ultimately by way of a substantive appeal in the Federal Court that was comprehensively heard on its merits,” the law firm said. - Mkini