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The state of Texas executed Jose Medellin last night despite an order to halt from the International Court of Justice. Last month, the ICJ or the World Court, called on the U.S. government to “take all measures necessary,” in stopping the execution of Medellin and other Mexican nationals on death row in Texas. Convicted in 1993 on gang rape and murder charges against a sixteen year old girl Medellin was not informed by authorities of his right as a foreign national to consult with his country’s consular officials. On behalf of Medellin and others, Mexico sued saying that the US violated the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations by not informing nationals of their consulting rights. In 2004, the World Court declared that Medellin and fifty other Mexican nationals on death row should be granted new hearings based on Vienna Convention violations. Last March, the Supreme Court weighed in, saying that convention rights could not be invoked since Medellin did not raise the issue during his trial or sentencing. The court also denied his last request for a reprieve last night. Many see the execution in defiance of the World Court as detrimental to the safety of US citizens abroad. Critics say that other nations’ governments could now exercise less caution in recognizing the rights of U.S. citizens in their countries.

GUESTS: Bryan McCann, Campaign to End the Death Penalty in Texas, Jeanne Mirer, National Lawyers Guild International Committee