Human Rights Commission to Review Petition of Mexican National Scheduled for Execution

25 LUG - The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights will review a petition submitted on behalf of Javier Suarez Medina, a Mexican national scheduled for execution in Texas on August 14th. The Commission, established to ensure that nations comply with safeguards established in human rights treaties, will review whether or not the arresting police notified Medina of his right to obtain assistance from the Mexican Consulate. The petition claims that, while Texas police were aware of Medina's Mexican nationality, new evidence reveals that they provided false information to Mexican consular officials about his nationality and prevented them from assisting Medina during his capital murder trial. If consular rights were denied, Medina's execution would be illegal under international law according to the representatives of the Mexican Capital Legal Assistance Program.