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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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Iran: Two prisoners hanged in Semnan prison

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NCRI - Two prisoners were hanged on Tuesday in the northern city of Semnan, the Iranian regime's judiciary in the province has said.

The two victims were identified by their first initials as M.Sh, and M.F.

The prisoners had been imprisoned and sentenced to death on drug related charges.

The report published on the judiciary website said they were hanged in the city's prison on Tuesday with the consent of the head of the judiciary.

The executions carried out after the United Nations said on Friday "the surge in the use of the death penalty that has dampened hopes for human rights reforms under President Hassan Rouhani."

"It appears at least in the past seven weeks that in fact executions have been scaled up," U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a news briefing.

"We regret that the new government has not changed its approach to the death penalty and continues to impose capital punishment for a wide range of offences. We urge the government to immediately halt executions and to institute a moratorium."

Source: NCRI, Feb. 25, 2014
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