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USA | The execution I witnessed haunts me. Biden, clear death row before Trump returns: Opinion

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Under Trump, there were 13 executions in his last six months as president. Biden must clear death row now to stop that and what Albert Camus described as the most cold-blooded premeditated murder. On Jan. 14, 2021, I stood in a small chamber in the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, while the federal government carried out an execution. Relegated to a spot 6 feet away from the gurney, I prayed with Corey Johnson, the “Gentle Giant” as he was known on death row.  He was one of the last of 13 people executed under then-President Donald Trump, who carried out an unprecedented killing spree during the final six months of his presidency.

Saudi Arabia: Final hours of executed Saudi prince recounted

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Prince Turki Bin Saud Bin Turki Bin Saud Al Kabeer
Prince Turki Bin Saud Bin Turki Bin Saud Al Kabeer
Victim’s father refused to accept blood money from Prince Turki’s family, insisting on execution

Manama: The Saudi prince who was executed on Tuesday for the murder of a friend met his family for around four hours in a highly emotional goodbye, a witness has said.

Recounting the last hours of Prince Turki Bin Saud Bin Turki Bin Saud Al Kabeer, the imam of Al Safa mosque in the capital Riyadh said that the convict and the family were crying throughout their meeting held late on Monday at the prison.

“The family was called in to bid the prince goodbye and during the time spent together, you could see only tears and hear only expressions and sighs of sadness,” Mohammad Al Maslookhi posted on his account on the Twitter microblog, Saudi news site Al Marsad reported.

“Turki then offered prayers and read from the Holy Quran until dawn. At around 7am, the warden took him to a place where his last will was written for him as he could not use his own hand, He then made the ablution and at 11am, he was taken to the mosque. In the meantime, the immediate family of the victim Adel Al Muhaimeed who was shot dead in a group brawl three years ago, were kept at their home and had their mobile phones switched off. When they arrived to the square designated for carrying out the execution, senior members of the larger family tried to intervene with Adel’s father to pardon Turki and accept diya (blood money). However, the father said he would not forgive and insisted on the execution of his son’s killer.”

Following the Dhohr (noon) prayers, a member of Turki’s family tried to convince the father to accept blood money and set him free, but the attempt failed.

Islamic law treats homicide and unintentional homicide as a civil dispute between people, and not a corrective punishment by the state to maintain order.

When the victim’s family grants a pardon for blood money or unilaterally, the state is not allowed to prosecute.

In the cases of death, injury, and damage, the prosecutor is the victim or the victim’s family and if the family or heir accepts the diyah (blood money or the financial compensation paid to the victim or heirs of a victim), the killer is pardoned.

“The execution was carried out immediately after the Asr (afternoon) prayers at 4.13pm and Adel’s father showed no expression afterwards. However, Turki’s father cried profusely over his son. Adel’s family left the square under a heavy guard,” Al Maslookhi said.

➪ Related article: Execution of Saudi prince brings praise for the monarchy, October 23, 2016

Source: Gulf News, October 20, 2016

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