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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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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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