Amnesty International to March to U.S. Embassy in Madrid on Sunday
to Denounce Florida Violation of International Treaty
To: National and International desks
Contact: Robert Acosta of Amnesty International,
              202-544-0200, ext. 302

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The violation by state
governments of rights of foreign nationals in the criminal justice
system as prescribed by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
(VCCR) could jeopardize the legal rights of Americans traveling
abroad, said Sam Jordan, Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) Director
of the Program to Abolish the Death Penalty. AIUSA raised its
concern as hundreds of protesters were expected to march to the
U.S. Embassy in Madrid on Sunday to demand the release of Joaquin
Martinez. Martinez, a Spanish citizen on death row in Florida, was
denied his VCCR rights by that state.

According to AIUSA, 80 foreign nationals on death row in 15
states were denied the right to contact their embassy
representatives throughout their judicial process by the state
governments that prosecuted them -- in violation of the VCCR.

"Once you allow a state to disregard international treaties that
this country has signed and ratified, you lose the moral authority
to demand that foreign governments grant our citizens the rights
outlined in those treaties," Jordan said. "Do we want the U.S. to
have the leverage to assist its citizens when traveling abroad or
do we want our government to antagonize all of these countries by
executing their citizens without due process?"

Joaquin Jose Martinez, 28, was sentenced to death in May 27,
1997 by a Tampa, Fla. jury for the murders of Douglas Lawson and
Sharrie McCoy-Ward. On January 8, 1999, his new attorney presented
an appeal based on the fact that some witnesses had retracted their
previous testimony and that the evidence had been manipulated. The
Florida Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal on January 21,
1999. The hearing took place on November 2, 1999; the Supreme
Court ruling is pending.

"Here in Spain, all political parties have joined forces to
denounce Florida's disregard of proper protocol and its lack of
respect for international law," said Amnesty International Spain
spokesman Cesar Diaz.

Meanwhile, Mexico -- with 42 citizens awaiting execution -- and
other Latin American countries that have citizens on death row in
as many as 15 states are following the case with interest.

"AIUSA supports Spain's insistence on full enforcement of its
citizens' VCCR rights," Jordan said. "AIUSA also calls for a review
of trial procedures in all foreign nationals' cases and, if
violations of the VCCR are found, AIUSA is requesting that they be
released, retried, or granted a hearing to appeal their sentences."

According to Jordan, Spain and at least 20 other nations have a
legitimate complaint against the US regarding the VCCR. "Many
nations are not even aware that they have citizens on death row
because the inmates were never allowed to contact their countries'
embassy. This must be remedied or we will have to find out the
hard way that the U.S. may not be able to assist all its citizens
traveling abroad if they are arrested, charged and convicted of any
crime," Jordan concluded.

-0-
/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
12/11 18:22
 

Copyright 1999, U.S. Newswire