U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice have written Governor Perry asking him to stop the execution of Jose Medellin on Aug 5 in order to protect Americans abroad. They join state Senator Rodney Ellis, who last week also asked Perry to stop the execution. You can also read the first article we wrote on this issue on BOR, “Governor Perry Endangers Texans Abroad”.
From today’s Dallas Morning News:
“Put simply, the United States seeks the help of the State of Texas,” Attorney General Michael Mukasey and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wrote Texas Gov. Rick Perry in a letter released by defense attorneys.
Federal authorities are scrambling to bring the U.S. into compliance with the Vienna Convention, a treaty signed decades ago giving jurisdiction to the world court in cases concerning consular access. The world court first called for additional review for dozens of Mexican citizens condemned to die without access to their consular officials in 2004 and repeated the call in another decision July 16.
“We respectfully request that Texas take the steps necessary to give effect to the …decision,” the June letter says.
…
Concern about the impending execution and its possible ramifications is so high that a group of state department officials traveled to Texas to lobby the governor’s general counsel. Some international law experts say Americans traveling abroad who are arrested may suffer if the U.S. does not abide by the treaty.
You can write Governor Perry from his website and urge him to protect Texans abroad by stopping the execution of Jose Medellin.
