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As clock ticks toward another Trump presidency, federal death row prisoners appeal for clemency

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President-elect Donald Trump’s return to office is putting a spotlight on the U.S. penitentiary in Terre Haute, which houses federal death row. In Bloomington, a small community of death row spiritual advisors is struggling to support the prisoners to whom they minister.  Ross Martinie Eiler is a Mennonite, Episcopal lay minister and member of the Catholic Worker movement, which assists the homeless. And for the past three years, he’s served as a spiritual advisor for a man on federal death row.
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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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