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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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Saudi Arabia executes own citizen for kidnapping; 64th execution this year

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Public execution in Saudi Arabia (file photo)
Public execution in Saudi Arabia (file photo)
February 23, 2016: A Saudi who kidnapped and tried to rape his employer was put to death in the kingdom’s 64th execution of the year.

Mufrih bin Ahmed Khamis worked as the victim’s driver, the interior ministry said in a statement.

A court found that he consumed alcohol before abducting her and her baby, "taking advantage of the fact that he drove her to the school where she worked," it said.

"He beat her, handcuffed her and placed tape over her mouth. He then drove her to an isolated location and tried to rape her."

After stealing her money and telephone, Khamis abandoned the woman and child, the ministry added.

After his trial and conviction, Khamis was executed in the southwestern city of Abha. 

Source: Agence France-Presse, Feb. 23, 2016

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Location: Abha Saudi Arabia
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