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The Death Penalty and Regret

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For decades, individuals involved in executions—from prison wardens, to guards, to governors—have expressed regret over their participation and described deep sorrow about their role in executing people. In 2018, six former governors—all of whom halted executions in their own states—called on then-California Gov. Jerry Brown to grant clemency to the 740 people incarcerated on California’s death row. “We were compelled to act because we have come to believe the death penalty is an expensive, error-prone and racist system,” they wrote . “[A]nd also because our morality and our sense of decency demanded it.” Don Siegelman and Robert Bentley, who served as Governor of Alabama from 1999 to 2003 and 2011 to 2017, respectively, are the latest public figures to express regret over their roles in capital punishment.

Iran: 10 Prisoners Executed at Rajai Shahr Prison in One Day

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Execution in Iran
The execution spree of the Iranian authorities continues with ten executions carried out on Wednesday July 20 at Rajai Shahr Prison. 

About 38 executions have been reported in Iran in the past week.

Iran Human Rights (July 21 2016): A group of ten prisoners were executed at Rajai Shahr Prison (Alborz province, northern Iran) on Wednesday July 20, according to sources close to Iran Human Rights (IHR). 

The prisoners were reportedly on death row on unrelated murder charges.

IHR calls on the international community to draw attention to the rising number of executions in Iran. "Although these prisoners were executed for criminal charges, the main goal of the executions is to spread fear in the society. The International community should not close its eyes to the arbitrary executions in Iran," says Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, spokesperson for Iran Human Rights.

The prisoners had been transferred to solitary confinement on Sunday July 17 in preparation for their executions scheduled for Wednesday. 

Iran Human Rights has identified four of the prisoners as Mohsen Babaie, Mehdi Keshavarz, Reza Teymouri and Mohsen Khanmohammadi.

Iranian official sources, including the Judiciary and state media, have been silent about these ten executions. About 38 executions have been reported in Iran in the past week.

Source: Iran Human Rights, July 21, 2016


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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." - Oscar Wilde

Location: Iran
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