Six 9/11 Suspects May Face Death Penalty

Staff / Truthdig Feb 12, 2008 Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the purported mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and five other detainees at Guantanamo Bay are facing official charges from the Pentagon that could result in the death penalty. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Truthdigger of the Week: Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Staff / Truthdig Nov 18, 2007 Truthdig tips its hat this week to South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who took the Anglican Church to task for what he called its "homophobic" attitude, declaring in a recent interview with BBC Radio 4 that, "If God, as they say, is homophobic, I wouldn't worship that God." Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

DNA Could Exonerate ‘Satanic Murderers’

Staff / Truthdig Nov 5, 2007 Fifteen years ago, the "West Memphis Three" were convicted of the torture and murder of three Cub Scouts in Arkansas. New DNA evidence has bolstered the argument, laid out in two HBO documentaries and an upcoming movie, that the three teenagers convicted -- one of whom was sentenced to death -- were victims themselves of a community more concerned with their taste in music than evidence. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Supreme Court Puts Executions on Hold

Staff / Truthdig Nov 1, 2007 The Supreme Court has placed a temporary moratorium on the death penalty while it considers the legality of lethal injection, which should take months. Justices Scalia and Alito dissented from the opinion, which spared prisoner Earl Wesley Berry only minutes before he was to be killed. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Europe Rallies Against Capital Punishment

Staff / Truthdig Oct 10, 2007 Aside from fatty foods that are somehow good for you, a laissez-faire attitude toward religion and a decidedly more relaxed approach to reproduction, the biggest cultural difference between Europe and the United States could be Europeans' general disdain for the death penalty. Lest we forget that all 27 European Union states have abolished the practice, the entire continent has taken a day to reflect upon the barbarity of execution. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Time Is Running Out for Brother and Sister

Amy Goodman / Truthdig Oct 10, 2007 Troy Anthony Davis and Martina Correia are fighting for their lives. He faces death by lethal injection at the hands of the state of Georgia, and she has breast cancer. Their parallel battles against insuperable odds deserve the public's attention. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

A ‘Dignified End’

Mike Farrell / Truthdig Jun 27, 2007 California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's stance on the death penalty issue raises some serious questions, according to actor, author and activist Mike Farrell, who poses several of his own in this fiery piece. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Secret Execution Chamber

Staff / Truthdig May 9, 2007 Democratic legislators in California are upset over a new execution chamber to be built in San Quentin Prison. Some lawmakers have accused Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of trying to "bypass the Legislature" by concealing details of the project. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Hussein Death Penalty Upheld

Staff / Truthdig Dec 26, 2006 It's possible that even greater shame awaits the U.S. in 2007, apparently as early as next month. From the NYT: "An Iraqi appeals court today upheld a death sentence for Saddam Hussein in a decision that clears the way for his execution within 30 days, Iraqi officials said." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Slow, Cruel Death

Staff / Truthdig Dec 14, 2006 A man executed in Florida on Wednesday took 34 minutes to die by lethal injection, and required two doses of lethal chemicals. He appeared to grimace before dying, leading some to believe he experienced pain from the procedure. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Molly Ivins: Don’t Make a Martyr of Moussaoui

Molly Ivins / Truthdig Apr 20, 2006 "If I were to make an argument against the death penalty for Moussaoui, it would be on grounds of practical public relations. Why let this guy have martyrdom and world fame when we could just put him away?" Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Christian Afghan Freed, but Issue Remains

Staff / Truthdig Mar 27, 2006 Afghan authorities are planning on releasing the man who faced the death penalty for converting to Christianity, but they will base the action on a technicality. So a showdown with the U.S. still looms. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )