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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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Mass Executions Continue in Iran: At Least 17 Executed According to Unofficial Sources

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Iran Human Rights, October 30: One prisoner was hanged in the prison of Semnan (Northern Iran) according to the Iranian state media. Meanwhile unofficial sources have reported 16 other executions in three other prisons.

Iran Human Rights (IHR) has received unconfirmed reports on mass-execution of a "not yet confirmed" number of prisoners in Adelabad Prison of Shiraz (southern Iran) today, Wednesday October 30. IHR is currently investigating these reports.

Execution of an Afghan citizen in Semnan:

One Afghan citizen identified as "M. S." was hanged in the prison of Semnan today, reported the state run Iranian news agency Fars. The prisoner was convicted of possession and trafficking of 997 grams of crack said the report.

Eleven prisoners among them two women hanged in Urmia:

According to the unofficial Kurdish "Mukrian news agency" eleven prisoners were hanged in the prison of Urmia (northwestern Iran) today. Six of the prisoners who were of Kurdish ethnicity and convicted of drug related charges are identified as: Kamel Saeidi, Kamel Habibi, Zaki Khani, Mohammad Gorji, Mosayeb Sadati, Vali Mohammadzadeh.

Another prisoner, identified as Yadollah Mahmoudi, was convicted of murder. In addition, four other prisoners including two women were also executed in the prison of Urmia today. No further information is revealed about these prisoners in the report.

At least three prisoners hanged in the Adelabad Prison of Shiraz:

According to the news website "Kurdpa" (unofficial) three prisoners were hanged in the Adelabad Prison of Shiraz today. One of the prisoners is identified as "Rahim Rashidi", of Kurdish ethnicity, while the two other prisoners are not identified by name. All the three prisoners were convicted of drug related charges, said the report.

One woman and one man executed in the Rajai Shahr Prison of Karaj:

According to Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) a woman identified as "Mitra Shahnavazi" and a man identified as "Rahbar" were hanged in the Rajai Shahr Prison of Karaj (west of Tehran) today. Both the prisoners were convicted of murder said the report.

According to official and unofficial reports at least 39 prisoners have been executed in different Iranian prisons in the last five days.

Source: Iran Human Rights, October 30, 2013
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