| | |  Americas & Beyond | August 2008 
Texas Executes Mexican National in Defiance of World Court
 VOA News
go to original
| | Jose Medellin, 05 Aug 2008 (photo released by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice) | | |
Authorities in the southwestern U.S. state of Texas have executed a Mexican-born inmate for the rape and murders of two teenage girls 15 years ago.
Jose Medellin was put to death late Tuesday night by lethal injection, hours after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay of execution in a 5-4 vote.
Medellin's attorneys had argued their client was denied assistance from the Mexican consulate after his arrest, which is granted under the 1963 Vienna Convention.
Texas authorities insisted Medellin's arrest, trial and sentencing complied with state, U.S. and international laws.
The International Court of Justice ordered the U.S. government last month to grant a stay of execution to Medellin and four other Mexicans facing execution.
The world court ruled in 2004 that Medellin and at least 50 other Mexican inmates should have new hearings to determine whether the 1963 treaty was violated during their arrests.
U.S. President George Bush ordered Texas to comply with the international court's ruling and reopen its case against Medellin. But the U.S. Supreme Court in March of this year ruled Mr. Bush overstepped his authority.
Earlier Tuesday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the U.S. to halt Medellin's execution.
Speaking at the international AIDS conference in Mexico City, Mr. Ban said all decisions and orders of the court must be respected by states.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters. |
|
| |
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us