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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.

Iran Commutes Sunni Cleric's Death Sentence to Life Imprisonment

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Iran's judiciary has commuted the death sentence of a Sunni cleric to a life imprisonment sentence.

Iran's judiciary media outlet, Mizan News Agency, reported that Mohammad Khezrnejad's execution sentence was reduced after he "expressed remorse and commitment to good behavior" and requested an amnesty.

Khezrnejad was arrested in November 2022 amid the anti-government unrest that swept through Iran.

He and his son were detained in the city of Bukan after Khezrnejad delivered a speech at the funeral of a protester killed by security forces.

The cleric was charged with "spreading corruption on Earth, threatening national security, and anti-Islamic Republic propaganda" by the Urmia court, presided over by Judge Reza Najafzadeh.

His sentencing relied heavily on contested confessions that Khezrnejad said were extracted under duress during interrogations.

Human rights monitors have reported that Khezrnejad was also physically assaulted during the arrest process.

He has denied all the accusations against him as baseless.

Source: Iran Wire, Staff, June 11, 2024

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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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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.
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Texas executes Travis Mullis

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Alabama has executed Alan Eugene Miller, the 2nd inmate known to die by nitrogen gas

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Second-ever nitrogen gas execution in US set to take place in Alabama

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Oklahoma executes Emmanuel Littlejohn

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Japan criticized as treating death-row inmates 'inhumanely'

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Alabama opposes defense attorneys’ request to film nitrogen execution

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