U.S. Should Not Execute Mexicans on Death Row

The US has been advised not to execute five Mexican nationals on death row by the International Court of Justice. The BBC reports:

The ICJ – the UN’s highest court – had previously ruled that the men had been denied the right to help from their consulate after their arrests.

A 2005 ruling by President George W Bush that the cases should be reviewed was overturned by the US Supreme Court.

But the Hague-based court told the US it should not execute the men before it made its final judgement.

In a majority ruling, the ICJ said the US should “take all measures necessary to ensure (they) are not executed pending judgment… unless and until these five Mexican nationals receive review and reconsideration (of their sentences)”.

Jorge Lomonaco Tonda, representing Mexico at the court, said: “The Mexican government is satisfied with the ruling of the court… we have full confidence that the ruling will be applied.”

The five are among 51 Mexicans on death row in the United States who were not told after arrest that they were entitled to assistance from Mexican consulates – in violation of the 1963 Vienna Convention.

All five are currently on death row in Texas. Click here for the rest of the story.

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