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Activists Call on President Biden to End the Federal Death Penalty Before Leaving Office

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A conversation with Death Penalty Action Co-founder and Executive Director Abe Bonowitz. Now that Joe Biden is a lame duck president, activists are holding him accountable to make good on his promise to end the federal death penalty during his remaining six months as president. Biden’s election campaign in 2020 had pledged to end the federal death penalty and incentivize the remaining 27 states that still allow executions to do the same. While he made history as the first president in the United States to openly oppose the death penalty, there has been no movement to actually end federal executions during his nearly four years in office.

Saudi Arabia executes young Shia man

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The Saudi Ministry of Interior announced yesterday that a death sentence against a young man from the Shia minority had been carried out, nearly seven years after his arrest.

The ministry said that it had carried out the death sentence against Manhal Al-Ribh, who was convicted of "joining a terrorist cell seeking corruption in the country".

Al-Ribh was convicted of shooting at security vehicles with intent to kill and possessing weapons and ammunition with the aim of disturbing security.

He was also charged with hiding a wanted person and supporting his ideology, in an indirect reference to the Shia cleric Nimr Al-Nimr who was executed by Saudi authorities in 2016.

Al-Ribh is the 20th person to be executed by Saudi authorities this year.

The European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights warned that the execution of Al-Ribh, who was not involved in the killing of any security personnel, contrary to what had been stated in the official statement, raises concerns about the implementation of more executions.

According to the organisation, there are 63 detainees, including nine minors, who face the death penalty.

Saudi Arabia had previously accused Shia detainees of being loyal to Iran and taking orders from it. There has been no change to their plight since the Saudi-Iranian reconciliation deal two months ago.

Source: middleeastmonitor.com, Staff, May 3, 2023


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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."

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Location: Saudi Arabia
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