1.   But defense lawyers expressed hope that Sheik Isa would commute the death sentences passed in July.

2.   The amnesty bill also commutes death sentences, except those of people convicted of treason, such as Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.

3.   The government has reimposed death penalty after Parliament last week unanimously urged it to change its practice of automatically commuting all death sentences, a senior minister said Monday.

4.   The government reinstated death penalty after Parliament last week unanimously urged it to change its practice of automatically commuting all death sentences, a senior minister said Monday.

5.   Two key U.N. human-rights investigators appealed Thursday to the Nigerian government to commute death sentences imposed against writer Ken Saro-Wiwa and other opposition figures.

6.   Rights group Amnesty International appealed Saturday to Kuwait to commute death sentences imposed on three Bangladeshis who next week face a public hanging after being convicted of murder.