Thread: Mexico tries to stop U.S. executions

U.S. legal advisor John Bellinger, right, greeting Mexico's chief advocate Juan Manuel Gomez-Robledo, center, and legal advisor Joel Antonio Hernandez Garcia, left, at the World Court in The Hague, Netherlands on Thursday. (Peter Dejong/The Associated Press)



Mexico tries to stop U.S. executions


The Associated Press
Published: June 19, 2008


THE HAGUE: Mexico made an emergency appeal to the United Nations' highest court Thursday to block the execution of its citizens in the United States.

Lawyers for the U.S. government cautioned, however, that the court's interference could complicate Washington's efforts to save the lives of Mexicans condemned by American state courts.

Mexico contends that the United States is defying a 2004 order by the International Court of Justice to review the cases of 51 condemned Mexican prisoners.

That ruling said the inmates had been denied the right to help from their consulate after their arrests. It said the prisoners were entitled to a reconsideration of their trials and sentences to determine whether the violation affected their cases.

Informally known as the World Court, the tribunal is the United Nation's judicial arm for resolving disputes among nations. Its decisions are binding and final, but it has no enforcement powers.

Mexico's chief advocate, Juan Manuel Gomez-Robledo, told the court Thursday that the cases had not been systematically reviewed and that the United States was "in breach of its international obligations."

Gomez-Robledo said that without urgent action now, five Mexican nationals would be "executed before the conclusion of these proceedings."

John Bellinger 3rd, a U.S. legal adviser, said the U.S. government had gone to "extraordinary lengths" to carry out the World Court's directive and to intercede with the state courts.

After the World Court's ruling, President George W. Bush issued a directive to the state courts to abide by the decision. He also asked Texas specifically to review the case of José Medellin, who is scheduled to die by lethal injection Aug. 5.

Those steps were "highly unusual," Bellinger said. "It almost never happens that the federal government enters an appearance in state court proceedings."

Texas refused, and in March the U.S. Supreme Court ruled by a 6-to-3 vote that Bush lacked the authority to compel state courts to comply with the judgment from The Hague.

Mexico filed to the court again two weeks ago.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Attorney General Michael Mukasey jointly wrote to Governor Rick Perry of Texas, urging him to review Medellin's case, Bellinger said.

But Rice and Mukasey could do nothing more than "respectfully request" Texas's help to carry out international legal obligations, Bellinger said.

It was unclear when the judges would issue a ruling.



http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/19/ ... /hague.php

Tell the JUDGES to stick it. They have or should not have any influence on our court system.

DID THESE MEXICANS SHOW ANY MERCY IN THEIR ACTIONS?

DOUBT IT...

SO MEXICO KEEP YOUR PEOPLE IN MEXICO!

Hey! I've got an idea for Mexico concerning its citizens in the US ... tell them to go home!

Your citizens don't like our laws up here Mexico?

Then tell your citizens to get the hell out of here and stay out.

Mexico is trying to affect U.S. laws and stop all executions.

If Mexicans were immune from the death penalty no matter how horrific the crime, citizens and nationals from other countries couldn't be executed "under equal protection of the law".

Mexico is directly trying to affect U.S. law and justice and they were 'sensitive' to any conditions attached to the $1.4 billion Merida Initiative and wouldn't accept it with ANY conditions. We could use the money to secure our border rather than give corrupt Mexico our technology and aid.

Mexico needs to butt out...........

If Mexico wants to crowd US prisons with Mexican criminals the US should charge Mexico the prison cost plus 40% so it's profitable!

TEXAS HAS ALREADY DECIDED THE FATE OF THESE CHILD RAPERS/MURDERERS. IT IS UP TO TEXAS CITIZENS TO DECIDE AND THEY HAVE DONE THEIR JOB.

THE SENTENCES SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT AS SCHEDULED.

WORLD COURT...LOL...WHAT A JOKE. THEY TRY TO PROTECT THE CRIMINALS WITHOUT RESPECT TO THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

IF THERE WAS SOME DOUBT AS TO THE GUILT OF THE ACCUSED, THEN THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT. BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT. THEY DID, IN FACT, COMMIT THE CRIMES.

IT IS BIZARRE THAT MEXICO OR THE WORLD COURT WOULD EVEN WANT TO DEFEND SUCH HORRIBLE CRIMINALS. THIS JUST ABOUT SHOOTS THE HEC OUT OF ANY THREAD OF CREDIBILITY THEY MIGHT STILL HAVE HAD IN TACT.

If Mexico wants to crowd US prisons with Mexican criminals the US should charge Mexico the prison cost plus 40% so it's profitable!

YA. THE USA SHOULD CHARGE THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT THE COST OF THE INCARCERATION AND EXECUTION FOR THOSE MEXICAN NATIONALS ON DEATH ROW. PLUS 40%....SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.

The other thing is if Mexican is a race why do all three men in the picture look like white men? Mexico is multi racial like America, how come North America only belongs to "the race" (Mexican nationals)? There is anything more racist then claiming someone else land biased on race?

What a load of garbage gwb and company have been,could you imagine if any of our patriotic presidents of the past were in office today and how they would handle this ono sense.

gwb your legacy will be that you are truly the worst president in American history.

I have came to realize that as much as I am disgusted about the fact of obama or macamnesty being our next president there truly is one positive about it and that is the fact that gwb and his disfunctional administration will be gone !

Thank you God!