An International Coalition of Death Penalty Opponents

British Government Appeals to Georgia Authorities to Stop Tuesday Execution

March 8, 2001 

Request that British National's Sentence be Commuted to Life

Members of Parliament, Attorneys Available for Comment

    In an unprecedented move, the government of the United Kingdom has interceded in a death penalty case in the United States and expressed deep concern over the imminent execution of British national Tracy Housel.

    British government officials including Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, the United Kingdom Ambassador to the United States and UK Members of Parliament have spoken with Georgia officials, including Governor Roy Barnes, on behalf of clemency for Mr. Housel.

     The Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole is scheduled to hear Mr. Housel's case on Monday, March 11 at 10 a.m. Vera Baird, British Member of Parliament and high ranking barrister, will travel from London to provide in-person testimony at the clemency hearing. Sister Helen Prejean, the author of Dead Man Walking, and who has a personal relationship with Mr. Housel, will also speak at the hearing.

     Foreign governments, including Mexico, Canada and Germany, have sought similar relief for foreign nationals on death row in the United States. The United Kingdom, however, has never done so until now.

     Mr. Housel's execution is scheduled for Tuesday, March 12, 2002 at 7 p.m. He was convicted of the murder of Jeanne Drew in 1986 and has been on Georgia's death row for more than 16 years. Housel had no significant prior criminal record. His case is troubling in a number of respects, including the failure of his inexperienced court-appointed lawyer to present crucial mitigating evidence to the jury. As a result, the jury never learned of Mr. Housel's brain damage, his horrific childhood or that he suffered a psychotic episode on the night of the crime due to a serious and untreated medical condition (severe hypoglycemia).

     A press conference will be held at 9 a.m. before the clemency hearing on the steps of the Pardons and Parole Board office at the Sloppy Floyd Building by the flagpoles and war memorial. To speak with British representatives or attorneys, contact Laura Burstein at: 202-557-7584.

     Representatives from the five EU consuls in Georgia - UK, Germany, France, Greece and Belgium, will hand deliver a demarche to the Pardons and Parole Board on Monday. The demarche is an official intervention on behalf of the 15 states of the European Union, expressing their grave concerns over the trial and resulting death sentence of Tracy Housel and calling for clemency. All 5 representatives have asked for the opportunity to speak to the board at the clemency hearing.

    The clemency hearing is at 10:00 a.m. Monday morning at 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Balcony Level, East Tower, in Atlanta.  There will be a press conference at 9:00 a.m. at this same address, near the veterans memorial.  Present at the press conference will be Vera Baird, MP, Sister Helen Prejean, the US and British attorneys representing Mr. Housel and the 5 consuls general of EU nations in Atlanta (UK, Germany, France, Greece, Belgium).

 Other contacts:

Robert McGlasson, counsel -- (404) 688-7530 (work); (404) 314-7664 (cell)

Beth Wells, co-counsel -- same work number, (404) 408-2180 (cell)

Vera Baird, MP, QC (Queen's COunsel, the highest ranking order of barrister in the UK) -- from the U.S. -- 011 44  207 219-8312 (office) 011 44 798 022-4797 (cell); also, if can't find, call her personal assistant, Catherine Purvis, 011 44 797 155-6225 (cell)

Yasmin Waljee, Solicitor, Lovells 011 44 207 296-2962 (work), 011 44 798 086-6898 (cell)

Walt Britt, trial counsel (770) 271-2991 (no cell)

Clive Stafford Smith (504) 558-9867 (work), (504) 338-9867 (cell)

Sister Helen Prejean (504) 948-6557