Their action was prompted by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision earlier this year in Medellin v. Texas, involving one of 51 Mexican nationals on death row who did not receive access to their consular officials as required by the Vienna Convention on Consular Affairs, to which the United States is a party. The first of these Mexican nationals is scheduled to be executed on Aug. 5 in Texas.
“Congressional action to ensure compliance with our undisputed international obligations is critically important,” said Freshfields partner and ASIL President Lucy Reed. “At stake are important protections of Americans abroad as well as our reputation as a country that lives up to its international agreements and expects others to do the same.”
