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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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Indonesia: Execution looming for French national Serge Atlaoui

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French national Serge Atlaoui
President Joko Widodo of Indonesia rejected the clemency appeals of several foreigners sentenced to death for drug trafficking, including the appeal of French national Serge Atlaoui, who could be executed soon, the Jakarta Attorney-General's office aid.

The Attorney-General's office has received "official copies of the presidential decree dismissing the clemency appeals from eleven death row inmates," a spokesman for the attorney general said.

Among the eleven men and women in line for execution by firing squad are seven foreigners sentenced to death for drug trafficking, including French citizen Serge Atlaoui, he added.

The other foreigners come from countries including Australia, Brazil, Ghana, Nigeria and the Philippines.

Death penalty for drug traffickers

The Frenchman Atlaoui was arrested in 2005 in a secret laboratory producing ecstasy close to Jakarta and sentenced to death for drug trafficking.

Spokesman Tony Spontana stressed that the Attorney-General had already established a list of 11 death row inmates to be executed in the weeks to come, but he had not yet decided which prisoners would be put to death in the next round of executions. An announcement is expected shortly, he said.

Dozens of Indonesians and foreigners sentenced to death for drug cases are sitting on Indonesia's death row. Indonesia has some of the strictest anti-drugs laws in the world.

Six prisoners, including five foreigners, were executed by firing squad on January 18, which caused Brazil and the Netherlands to recall their ambassadors.

Source: RTL, January 30, 2015

Report an error, an omission: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com
Location: Indonesia
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