- Title: NETHERLANDS: WORLD COURT TELLS U.S. TO REVIEW MEXICAN DEATH ROW CASES
- Date: 31st March 2004
- Summary: (W5) THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS (MARCH 31, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIOR OF PEACE PALACE, BUILDING THAT HOUSES THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE (ICJ) EXTERIOR OF COURT ALSO KNOWN AS WORLD COURT 0.04 2. CU UNITED NATIONS FLAG 0.08 3. SLV DELEGATIONS ARRIVING 0.15 4. SV UNITED STATES DELEGATION WALKING INTO COURT 0.24 5. SV UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE NETHERLANDS CLIFFORD SEBOL SEATS DOWN 0.38 6. SV MEXICAN DELEGATION REPRESENTATIVE SITS DOWN 0.46 7. SLV/SV JUDGES ENTERING COURT ROOM / SEATING DOWN (2 SHOTS) 1.07 8. PAN FROM CHANDELIERS HANGING FROM CEILING TO COURT ROOM 1.18 9. CU MEXICAN WOMAN LISTENING 1.21 10. CU HAND HOLDING PEN 1.26 11. PAN PEOPLE SEATED IN COURT ROOM 1.35 12. MCU (English) JUDGE SHI JIUYONG DRINKS WATER, READS DECISION, SAYING: "For these reasons, the Court one, by 13 votes to two, rejects the objection by the United and Mexican states to the admissibility of the objections presented by the United States of America to the jurisdiction of the Court and the admissibility of Mexican claims." 2.06 13. SV DELEGATES TAKING NOTES 2.12 14. LV COURT ROOM 2.16 15. MCU (English) JUDGE SHI JIUYONG DRINKS WATER, READS DECISION, SAYING: "By 14 votes to one, finds that by not informing without delay upon their detention of 51 Mexican nationals referred in paragraph one, six, one above of their rights and article one of the Vienna convention of Consular relations if 24 April 1963. The United States breached the obligations incumbent upon it and under that sub-paragraph." 2.58 16. LV OF COURT 3.02 17. SLV DELEGATIONS OUT OF COURT 3.12 18. SV MEXICAN REPRESENTATIVE WALKS PAST REPORTERS 3.22 19. MCU (English) UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE NETHERLANDS CLIFFORD SOBEL SAYING: "Again, it has to be looked at in the whole context of the decision but again I want to very clear about this. There were a lot of complex issues that were discussed, there is not one rule here. As I said earlier, we are pleased that they have rejected a number of the Mexican submissions and I think there is no way to make the best simplification on this very complex issue. And it's not a simple issue and our Justice Department will be reviewing it." 3.55 20. LV DELEGATES GETTING INTO CAR 4.00 21. LV CAR LEAVING COURT BUILDING 4.10 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 15th April 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS
- Country: Netherlands
- Reuters ID: LVADO9490TWWFPPJ90WYLCSYFWDW
- Story Text: World Court tells U.S. to review Mexican death row
cases.
The World Court ordered the United States on
Wednesday (March 31) to review the cases of 51 Mexicans on
death row because it had failed to inform them of their
right to talk to consular officials shortly after their
arrests.
The Mexicans, on death row in more than half a dozen
U.S. states including California, Texas and Oklahoma,
should have their convictions and sentences reviewed
because their consular rights had been breached, the U.N's
top court ruled.
"For these reasons, the Court one, by 13 votes to two,
rejects the objection by the United and Mexican states to
the admissibility of the objections presented by the United
States of America to the jurisdiction of the Court and the
admissibility of Mexican claims," judge Shi Jiuyong while
reading the Court ruling which is binding and not subject
to appeal.
Mexico complained to U.S. President George W. Bush
earlier this month about Oklahoma's plans to execute
Mexican Osvaldo Torres, convicted of a double murder in
1993, on May 18 despite a ruling by the court calling for a
stay of execution.
Last year, the court ordered the United States to stay
the executions of Torres and two other Mexicans deemed in
imminent danger and reserved the right to intervene in
dozens more cases.
Mexico brought a case against the U.S. at the
International Court of Justice, also known as the World
Court, last year in which it said its neighbour breached
the rights of the Mexican prisoners under the Vienna
Convention on Consular Relations.
Reacting to the decision, United States ambassador
Clifford Sobel said he was pleased the Court rejected "a
number of the Mexican submissions" and added: "It's not a
simple issue and our Justice Department will be reviewing
it."
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