Thread: Mexico asks World Court to stay executions in US

June 5, 2008, 3:06PM
Mexico asks World Court to stay executions in US


By ARTHUR MAX Associated Press Writer
© 2008 The Associated Press


AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Mexico appealed to the U.N.'s highest court Thursday to block the executions of Mexicans in the United States, arguing U.S. officials have failed to comply with a judgment ordering a review of their trials.

The International Court of Justice said Mexico asked the court for an "interpretation" of an earlier ruling to clarify its meaning when it asked the U.S. to "review and reconsider" the cases of the condemned prisoners.

Until that can be done, Mexico said the United States "must take any and all steps necessary" to ensure that none of its citizens is executed, and asked the court to take urgent measures to intercede.
The court, informally known as the World Court, ruled in 2004 that the convictions of some 50 Mexicans on death row around the United States violated the 1963 Vienna Convention, which provides that people arrested abroad can have access to their home country's consular officials.

The court, which sits in The Hague, said the Mexicans should have new hearings in U.S. courts to determine whether the violation affected their cases.

President Bush accepted the judgment and asked state courts to review the cases. Texas refused.

Jose Medellin, a 33-year-old inmate condemned in the gang rape and murder of two teenage girls 15 years ago, appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court on the basis of the World Court's ruling.
The Supreme Court rejected the appeal March 25, saying Bush had overstepped his authority when he ordered the courts to carry out the decision from The Hague and review the prisoners' cases.

The Constitution "allows the president to execute the laws, not make them," said the majority opinion

Medellin's execution has been set for Aug. 5.

Mexico asked the court to issue an immediate injunction against the execution and those of four other Mexican-born inmates. In its request, Mexico said it was still in dispute with the United States over "the scope and meaning" of the 2004 ruling.

The Mexican request said the court's ruling implied that some actual review must result, but the U.S. government says it has already complied.

The U.S. obligation to follow international law also applies to individual states, Mexico argued in its application to the court.
"The United States cannot invoke municipal law as justification for failure to perform its international legal obligations," it said.

A World Court spokeswoman said the 15-judge court would convene soon to weigh Mexico's request to halt the executions.

The International Court of Justice is the U.N.'s judicial arm for resolving legal disputes among member states. Its decisions are binding and not subject to appeal, but are not always obeyed.






http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5821070.html

If Mexico wants a WAR with the Uinted States this is a good way to start one!

Jose Medellin, a 33-year-old inmate condemned in the gang rape and murder of two teenage girls 15 years ago, appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court on the basis of the World Court's ruling.
The Supreme Court rejected the appeal March 25, saying Bush had overstepped his authority when he ordered the courts to carry out the decision from The Hague and review the prisoners' cases.

It's beyond time to pull out of the UN! I'm so sick of this globalist agenda!

you have no power in this country and neither does the world court .. take your broke A$$ country back to your 3rd world 17th century throwback kingdom and see the troubles you have in your back yard before you look in our back yard

Is there a deep fault line at the Mexican border? Would be nice to just have it break off and float away.

Until that can be done, Mexico said the United States "must take any and all steps necessary" to ensure that none of its citizens is executed, and asked the court to take urgent measures to intercede.

If you would keep your criminal citizens on your side of the border they wouldn't have to worry about being executed after being convicted of crimes such as the gang rape and murder of our citizens!

How about insuring no INNOCENT Americans aren't exicuted on their side of the border? Their people are serious criminals and deserve serious punishment......many of ours are just simple people who are just there.

Medelin was tried and will be executed (just like a US citizen or anyone else would be for the same crime), no special treatment for mexicans.

Hopefully his execution will act as a deterrent for anyone to feel they have to right to come here and commit murder. Hopefully it will act as a deterrent to make mexico's and other countries citizens from coming here illegally.

The World Court should look into how American citizens are treated just being in Mexico's jails. They should be looking into how mexico treats citizens of other countries who enter mexico illegally too! The World Court can also kiss my shillalegah!

GIT R DONE!