Vol. 515 No. 2
106 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will raise the case of a person (details supplied) who faces the death penalty in the United States; and if he will raise the general issue with the United States authorities. [5640/00]
I refer the Deputy to the response I gave to question, reference number 4282, on 16 February 2000 on the use of the death penalty in the US.
With regard to the particular situation of Mr. Juan Raul Garza, I understand from Amnesty International that his case has been brought to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The commission has asked that the US Government do not proceed with the execution until it has issued a judgment. As of now, no date has been set for his execution. If the execution proceeds, Mr. Garza would be the first federal prisoner to suffer capital punishment in over 36 years. This would mark a distinct expansion of the implementation of the death penalty in the USA. Ireland, in conjunction with our EU partners under the union's common policy on this issue, is campaigning for the USA to introduce a moratorium on capital punishment. I will ensure that this specific case is brought to the attention of our EU partners as a matter of urgency and that consideration be given to intervention on behalf of Mr. Garza.
