The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in a 7-5 vote Wednesday that five Mexican citizens awaiting execution in the United States should not be executed pending judgement on the request for interpretation of an ICJ ruling in 2004 about the cases, according to dpa. The ruling in favour of Mexico's request for a judicial review was delivered at the Peace Palace in The Hague, where the ICJ is located. The five Mexican citizens are Jose Ernesto Medellin Rojas - whose execution is scheduled for August 5 - Cesar Roberto Fierro Reyna, Ruben Ramirez Cardenas, Humberto Leal Garcia, and Roberto Moreno Ramos. Mexico charged that, in violation of international law, the Mexican suspects were not allowed legal assistance by their consulate. Mexico said it did not learn about the arrest and trial of its citizens until the legal proceedings had nearly been completed, and therefore was unable to provide legal aid and prevent the death sentence. In 2004, the ICJ ruled the five Mexicans had the right for a new trial. But Mexico and the US disagreed how to interpret the 2004 ruling, as a result of which no new trial had yet to take place. Under the Vienna Convention of Consular Relations, arrested suspects are supposed to have access to their own consulates for seeking legal assistance. Wednesday's ICJ ruling determines that pending the conclusion of the legal proceedings about the interpretation of the 2004 ruling, the five Mexicans should not be executed. It remained questionable whether the US state of Texas, where the five Mexycans are jailY ;%11 abide by the ICJ ruling. The US claims the ICJ is not authorized to rule about a US court verdicts. Apart from Mexico, Paragua and Germany have also complained about the US police preventing their nationals to have access to their consulates.
