(31 Mar 2004)
1. Pan of news conference, Arturo Dajer entering
2. Arturo Dajer, Mexican Foreign Ministry official and another man
3. Media
4. Dajer and others sitting down
5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Arturo Dajer, Mexican Foreign Ministry official:
"Regarding your first question: we have full confidence that the United States will do whatever is necessary and possible to comply with the court's decision, one of the highest courts of the world, a court to which the US and Mexico agreed to listen to freely, and as indicated by the United Nations Charter, to comply with its resolutions. Of course we have full confidence they will do all possible to comply with this decision."
6. Cutaway
7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Arturo Dajer, Mexican Foreign Ministry official:
"It found that there was a violation by the United States with its international obligations, in respect to the earlier mentioned rights, regarding the Mexican nationals sentenced to death. It orders the United States, to comply as allowed by its local laws, to review and reconsider via judicial process both the verdicts and the sentences. All while remembering the influence of not having consular consultation once the state courts decided on the cases."
8. Various of news conference
STORYLINE:
The International Court of Justice has ruled that the United States violated the rights of 51 Mexicans on death row, including one to be executed in Oklahoma in May, and ordered their cases be reviewed.
The United Nations' highest judiciary, also known as the world court, was considering a suit filed by Mexico claiming 52 convicted murderers weren't given their right to assistance from their government.
Presiding judge Shi Jiuyong said that the US should provide a review of the conviction and sentence of the Mexicans.
Shi said the review, in all but three cases, could be carried out under the normal appeals process in the United States.
But for three men who have already exhausted all other appeals, the court said the United States should make an exception and review their cases one last time.
The court found that in the remaining case, the convict had received his rights and his case didn't need to be reviewed.
Mexican officials praised the ruling as "a triumph of international law" and said they were confident the United States would comply with the court's order.
Speaking in Mexico City on Wednesday, Arturo Dajer, a legal adviser with Mexico's Foreign Relations Department, said it would be an important legal tool for Mexican inmates in the United States.
Washington had no immediate reaction.
Even if Washington accepts the decision, it was unclear if federal authorities will be able to enforce it or compel individual states to abide by it.
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