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Biden Fails a Death Penalty Abolitionist’s Most Important Test

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The mystery of Joe Biden’s views about capital punishment has finally been solved. His decision to grant clemency to 37 of the 40 people on federal death row shows the depth of his opposition to the death penalty. And his decision to leave three of America’s most notorious killers to be executed by a future administration shows the limits of his abolitionist commitment. The three men excluded from Biden’s mass clemency—Dylann Roof, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and Robert Bowers—would no doubt pose a severe test of anyone’s resolve to end the death penalty. Biden failed that test.
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Iranian man granted mercy by victim's family moments after execution begins

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A man sentenced to death for murder in Mashad, northeastern Iran, was granted mercy at the very last moment just as he was being hung from the scaffold.

According to Iranian Mehr news agency, Vahid Zare had been charged with killing a young person doing his military service.

He was granted mercy by the victim's family when he started choking, seconds after the executioner pulled the gallows from beneath his feet.

Once the members of the victims' family confirmed that they were pardoning the culprit, the officials took Zahe down and sent him to the hospital.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News, May 8, 2013


Tolerance on the scaffold

Universal Tolerance- Iran - In the morning of 8th May of 2013, The scaffold did not take a life this time and the cord rested around the criminal’s neck for few second without taking his life. Unlike always, the gallows brought pity to the hearts of plaintiffs. Not much time has passed since the sun set on 7th of December 2012 when the gallows buried a body, and saved another life this time.

Click here to read the full article

Source: Universal Tolerance, May 9, 2013

Photos of the execution (Warning: Graphic Content)













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