International Law
Mexico Asks World Court to Halt Five U.S. Executions
Posted Jun 19, 2008, 07:53 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Mexico asked the World Court today to issue a stay to halt the executions of five of its citizens in the United States.
Mexico contends the five prisoners were not allowed to consult with consular officials in violation of their rights under an international treaty, the Vienna Convention. The United Nations court, known more formally as the International Court of Justice, is scheduled to begin emergency hearings today, the Associated Press reports.
One of the five is Jose Medellin, whose case went before the U.S. Supreme Court, Reuters reports. The Supreme Court ruled in March that President Bush had overstepped his authority when he directed Texas to comply with an earlier World Court ruling that found the United States had violated the treaty rights of 51 Mexicans on death row.
Medellin’s execution is scheduled for Aug. 5. He was convicted in the rape and murder of two teenage girls.