Update – 18 November

We’re extremely sad to hear that today Idaho authorities chose to restart executions in the state, by executing Paul Rhoades with a lethal injection.

Thank you to all of you who took action and shared this post. It is never in vain: the more people that realise that executions continue take place daily around the world, the more we can work towards abolition of the death penalty. We’ve removed the tweet buttons to Governor Otter, feel free instead to share our film with our arguments against the death penalty.

This Friday, State authorities in Idaho plan to execute their first prisoner for 17 years. Idaho has only executed two people in the last 50 years, but on Friday it will buck international trend by reinstating the ultimate inhumane punishment.

54 year-old Paul Rhoades was arrested nearly 25 years ago. Over the course of that quarter century he has repented for his crimes and is seeking life without parole. Many current and former inmates have expressed the difference that Paul has made to their lives, persuading them to turn away from violence and criminality.

No one deserves to be punished by death. Idaho authorities could stop the execution at any point before Friday – and continue as they have for the past 17 years, without State executions.

Take action on Twitter and Facebook now

It’s time for us to join the campaign our colleagues in the States have been running to stop the execution.

Please take a few minutes to use your social media accounts to urge the Governor of the State of Idaho not to carry out this execution.  Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter has a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Please join us and politely but firmly ask him to stop the execution of Paul Rhoades.

Tweet or Facebook the Governor of Idaho

Send the Governor of Idaho a tweet, or drop him a message on his Facebook page. Don’t forget to ask your friends to do the same:

Twitter

Send both of the following tweets – one to the Governor, one asking your followers to help:

.@ButchOtter, Idaho hasn’t executed anyone in 17 years. Please don’t restart with #PaulRhoades on Friday, stop the execution.
Join me and ask the Governor of Idaho not to execute after a 17 year hiatus. The #DeathPenalty isn’t the answer.

Facebook

To leave a message, go to the Governor’s official Facebook page, and leave a message on his wall. Be polite – we suggest a message like this:

Mr. Governor, I’d like to ask that you reconsider the execution of Paul Rhodes. Whilst I don’t want to downplay the seriousness of his crimes, he has tried to make amends during his prison sentence despite his difficult background. Since the last execution in Idaho 17 years ago, support for the death penalty is at a 40-year low. Please don’t resume executions.

Then, share this blog post with your Facebook friends.

The death penalty is never the answer

It’s the ultimate in cruel and unusual punishment. It reduces the state to the role of a killer. In the 17 years since Idaho last executed a prisoner, 40 countries have abolished the death penalty. The world is moving away from the death penalty with good reason and 16 US states have now abolished the death penalty. The Governor of the most recent to do so – Illinois – said “If the system can’t be guaranteed, 100% error-free, then we shouldn’t have the system. It cannot stand.”

Here’s a guest post from our Education and Student team, who’ve been following the Eastlea School youth group for our new film encouraging more young people to get involved with our work. They went to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office on Monday:

When the Eastlea School students sat down with the Minister for human rights, Jeremy Browne MP at the World Day Against The Death Penalty event they discovered they had a lot in common. Jeremy revealed “I enjoyed being involved with Amnesty when I was at school, and it’s clear these students also have huge enthusiasm for human rights campaigning.”

The students told Jeremy Browne more about their work in our campaign to end stoning in Iran, and then it was time for their questions.

They asked what the UK government had done to try to prevent the execution of Troy Davis. The Minister said it had been difficult, as the UK can’t force other countries to do things, but they had tried. He confirmed that the last executioner in Europe, Belarus, is a priority and how abolition in Japan, although a country that only executes a small number of people, would send a strong message to the rest of the world. Finally, he pinpointed countries in the Caribbean as key targets to abolish the death penalty next, as they have it on their books but don’t use it.

All too soon the Minister was whisked away to open the main event, where he spoke about how ‘the more subtle leap’ of enforcing existing standards on the death penalty under international law could reduce the number of global executions more than achieving abolition in a country that rarely uses it. Then it was time for Victoria, Jessica and Khadeeja from Eastlea to take to the stage to introduce the I Talk Out Loud film. The international audience of ambassadors and civil servants showed their support with loud applause before panel chair, Louise De Souza, Head of Human Rights and Democracy Department at the FCO, described it as a ‘hard act to follow’.

“The idealism of the young people is inspirational. I admire their desire to turn ideas into practical outcomes,” concluded the Minister.

The Eastlea group left feeling equally inspired. Khadeeja Shahid, student and youth group member, Eastlea Community School said: “When the Minister told us how good our work was it made me feel that what we’ve done is really worth it. I was surprised to find out that it’s not just Amnesty, people in government are trying to solve human rights problems too.” “It is massively encouraging to have a direct conversation with the UK government and find out that the issue we are campaigning on is also firmly on their agenda,” said Nazanin Shirani, teacher and youth group leader at Eastlea School.

Encouraging news too for schools across the country who are campaigning against the death penalty this month – find out how you can join them!

Standing vigil with Troy Davis on the night of his execution outside the US Embassy in London © Ben Smith

20 years after being put on death row in Georgia, USA, Troy Anthony Davis was strapped to a gurney and injected with a lethal pentobarbital cocktail in the early hours of this morning – needlessly, outrageously, and absolutely unjustifiably.

Having campaigned for justice for Troy and to prevent his execution for years, we in the Amnesty office are mourning. Denied justice, denied clemency, yesterday even denied a polygraph test, Troy has been denied his human right to life (Article 3 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights), and his right not to be tortured or subject to any cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment (Article 5).

There is no consolation we can take from Troy’s execution.

The process of death by injection is not as clinical as it sounds. It will have taken place in an isolated room, most likely administered by someone who isn’t a medical professional; the majority of American medical bodies outright deny the medicalisation of execution processes.

Like Monday’s clemency hearing, the killing was conducted in front of a select audience, behind closed doors – perpetuating the theatrical nature of the cruel exhibition of execution in the US – Troy’s 20 preceding years being permeated by a tortuous process of waiting and almost-dying.

As per Georgia law, the family of Mark MacPhail (the man whom Troy is convicted of murdering) was permitted to attend the execution; Troy’s family was not. Three journalists were obliged to bear witness to the event. Troy’s lawyers were also present.

The barbarous, staged nature of the process was reemphasised by the last-minute temporary pause on Troy’s execution.

Hopeful until the very end, around 500 of us held vigil outside the US embassy in London, in order bear witness to Troy’s death and mark our opposition to his impending execution.

Just before midnight UK time (7pm in Georgia), we silently turned to face the embassy building, with Troy on our minds. At midnight, we heard cheers from our colleagues stationed outside Troy’s prison in Jackson, Georgia, via our phones and computers. Utterly confused, we tried to decipher the message. “The Supreme Court has issued a stay.” At the time Troy’s death was due to take place we were cheering, hugging and weeping: Troy was still alive.

It quickly emerged that the Supreme Court had issued a reprieve two minutes before Troy was scheduled to die. We waited (#theworldiswatching). Unfortunately this was only another four hour shift in a twenty year waiting game; the Supreme Court announced it would not stay the execution, and that lethal drugs would be administered to Troy within the following half hour.

Troy died at 11.08pm in Georgia, 4.08am UK time.

The three media witnesses described the death to the waiting world.

If anything is to come out of this week, it is surely that there is widespread international recognition of Troy Davis’ name. #troydavis, and then ‘who is Troy Davis‘, were trending around the world on Twitter throughout the day yesterday, along with this campaign’s #toomuchdoubt slogan. Today it is #RIPTroyDavis.

On grounds of the doubt surrounding Troy’s case, there has been international condemnation of the decision to deny Troy clemency – even from those who support the death penalty, like former FBI Director William Sessions – but Georgia did not listen.

When clemency was denied on Tuesday, we asked you to email the Parole Board. When the Board blocked all emails coming from Amnesty, we asked you to email from your personal accounts. Your support speaks volumes. An absolutely unprecedented 64,000 of you emailed the state Parole Board in 24 hours yesterday. When the Board switched off all incoming public emails, you faxed and called their office.

It could seem that we were not listened to. But blocking emails, unhooking the phone, switching off the fax machine cannot work forever. The state of Georgia must acknowledge the astounding international pressure to review their death penalty policy.

Troy said yesterday:

“The struggle for justice doesn’t end with me. This struggle is for all the Troy Davises who came before me and all the ones who will come after me.

I’m in good spirits and I’m prayerful and at peace. But I will not stop fighting until I’ve taken my last breath.”

Troy is one of three men who were executed in one day – teenager Alireza Molla-Soltani in Iran and Pakistani Zahid Husain Shah in China were also killed.

While this is a dark day, Troy’s name has meaning. And Troy represents thousands who die by execution every year around the globe. In America alone, there are currently over 3,200 people locked in the theatrical waiting game on death row – an embarrassment of hitches indeed. Troy Davis could be anyone. And this movement won’t end with Troy.

We will continue to campaign for the abolition of the death penalty worldwide. We will not stop fighting although Troy has taken his last breath.

Today the five members of the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles are meeting to decide whether Troy Davis’ execution, scheduled for 7pm on Wednesday, will go ahead as planned.

We are expecting the Board to announce their decision within the next day. Right now, Troy’s family, members of Amnesty USA and others are holding a vigil by the Board’s office. All we can do is wait.

Troy’s story is a heart-breaking one of justice ill-served: a man who has always claimed innocence, awaiting execution for 20 years despite a plethora of doubts around the credibility of the original trial, including witnesses recanting testimonies and citing police coercion, a lack of physical evidence, and another potential suspect.

Just under two weeks ago, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles declared Troy’s fourth execution date.

Troy’s execution has already been postponed three times, for various reasons; execution even this time round is not certain, and there’s possibility of staying the execution or, ideally, granting Troy clemency, given the doubts around his case.

43,500 thank yous!

An incredible 43,500 of you have emailed the Board appealing for clemency for Troy in the past 10 days.

To have such overwhelming support behind Troy is totally unprecedented in terms of our online campaigning.

We are so grateful for your support: for emailing the Board, for spreading the word about Troy on your social network accounts, for telling your friends and family about Troy’s case, and for stating your solidarity with Troy – online or in person, at our vigil outside the US Embassy in London on Friday, a global day of solidarity for Troy.

You have let Georgia know that there is worldwide support for Troy’s clemency and that 43,000+ people in the UK will be watching and waiting for the outcome of today’s meeting.

We have spoken loudly, and your voices join a diverse bunch in the international campaign for justice for Troy – from Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former President Jimmy Carter, to former FBI Director William Sessions, to Bianca Jagger and Richard Hughes in the UK.

What happens now?

There are three possible outcomes from today’s Board meeting.

1. Troy will be granted clemency and dealt either life without parole or life imprisonment. If life without parole, he will remain in prison for the rest of his life, parole or exoneration not an option. If he’s granted life in prison, the years Troy’s already served could count towards his sentence.
2. Troy’s execution will be stayed – suspended temporarily.
3. The execution will go ahead as planned.

The Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles alone has the power to grant Troy clemency.

The five members of the Board will hear from Troy Davis’ representatives, and the representatives of Mark MacPhail, the police officer Troy is convicted of murdering. The meeting is closed to the media.

We will email the 43,500 of you who have taken action on behalf of Troy once we know of a decision. If you tweet, follow Laura Moye, Director of Amnesty USA’s Death Penalty Abolition Campaign, for the latest news about this campaign.

Thanks again for your overwhelming support for this campaign. We hope the decision made by the Board is the right one. Until then – we wait.

Troy Davis has spent over 20 years on death row in Georgia, USA, for a murder he has always stated he did not commit. His case is riven with doubt.  No physical evidence links Troy to the crime. 7 of the 9 witnesses have changed or retracted their testimony, with some citing police coercion. Witnesses have identified another suspect. Yet despite this, Troy Davis now has an execution date: Wednesday 21 September at 7pm US time. We firmly believe that no one should face the death penalty. The irrevocable nature of execution is too risky when doubt exists — and there are so many doubts around Troy’s guilt. We’ve campaigned for Troy to be taken off death row for 6 years, and with your help and the support of thousands of people around the globe, we’ve helped Troy avoid 3 scheduled executions in the past. We need your help to do that again. We’ve not got a lot of time.  There are 3 ways you can make a difference right now.

3 ways to help save Troy Davis — there’s too much doubt to execute

1. Email the Georgia State Board of pardons and paroles and ask for clemency It’s that simple. Email them now. It’ll take two minutes and your polite, respectful request that they grant clemency based on the doubts in this case may be the one that convinces them.

2. Change your twitter picture and spread the word that there’s #toomuchdoubt

We need to show the world that we’re watching and how much support Troy has. Swap your Twitter pic with the one to the left (just right-click on it to save it, and then go to ‘Profile’ in your twitter settings to upload it), and then send out one or more of our #TooMuchDoubt tweets encouraging your friends to take action. Maybe you could send one a day until the hearing on Monday 19? To tweet a doubt, just click on the Tweet button next to it:

#TooMuchDoubt Georgia may execute #TroyDavis even though 9 witnesses say another committed the murder. Take action: #TooMuchDoubt Tell Georgia to stop a grave miscarriage of justice. Save #TroyDavis from execution: #TooMuchDoubt 6 eyewitnesses in the #TroyDavis case have recanted their testimony. Don’t let Georgia execute Troy: #TooMuchDoubt No physical evidence directly links #TroyDavis to the murder. Don’t let Georgia execute Troy:

3. Change your Facebook picture and share our action

We know from previous actions we’ve run that your Facebook friends are very valuable – they listen to you.

So swap your Facebook profile picture (just right-click to save the image to the left, and then upload it in Facebook as a new profile pic), click the share button below, and write something encouraging your friends to take action.

Our campaign for Troy Davis suffered a major setback this week with the news that the
US Supreme Court has rejected his appeal. At the realisation that Troy – who has been on death row for over 19 years and has already had an execution date set three times – may be executed within weeks, everyone involved in his case was deeply shocked, disappointed and saddened. But then we received this message from Troy’s sister, Martina Correia:

“ We are just beside ourselves, my mother is very silent, yet optimistic. I talked to Troy last night and he is more worried about his family and supporters than himself. He says we must never give up and know that no matter what happens we will do our best to fight this injustice and continue the fight for others like him. He is our rock and I draw strength from him. ”

Inspired by the strength of Troy and his family, we are redoubling our efforts to save him from the execution chamber. Watch the video below to find out more about the Supreme Court’s decision and see an interview with Martina. Then remind yourself why we won’t give up and what you can do to support Troy.

Why we won’t give up

We need to show Troy that we are with him and will never give up. We also need to show the State of Georgia that the world is watching closely and asking: how can they execute a man when there are so many doubts over his guilt?

And here’s a reminder just how serious those doubts are:

• No physical evidence links Troy to the crime of which he was convicted – and the weapon used in the crime was never found
• Seven of the nine non-police witnesses on whose evidence he was convicted have since recanted or contradicted their testimony
• Of the two witnesses who did not change their testimony, one is the principal alternative suspect
• Many witnesses stated they were pressured or coerced by police
• Nine individuals have signed affidavits implicating an alternative suspect

What you can do

We aim to collect as many petition signatures, messages and photos as possible to send to our colleagues in the US. This evidence of international support will give a huge boost to their clemency campaign, so please:

Sign the petition: If you have not already done so, please petition the state of Georgia to ensure justice for Troy. So far we’ve got over 20,000 on- and offline signatures in the UK alone, but the more names we get the louder our voice. Add your name

Upload your photo: Please take a photo showing why you don’t want the state of Georgia to execute Troy. The many doubts detailed above are compelling enough, but there’s also the matter of the death penalty being irreversible, the last word in cruel, inhumane and degrading punishments and the ultimate denial of human rights. Find out what to do

Spread the word: Tell everyone you know about Troy’s case – share the petitions, tag your photos, and make a point of telling his story of courage in the face of injustice to at least one person you meet today.

Here are some of the messages we have so far collected on behalf of Troy – please continue to add yours.

Messages of solidarity left by people who signed the Troy Davis petition

If the Taleban were a product PR companies would be studying their tactics. Because they’ve certainly got massive “brand awareness”.

Aside from al-Qaida (and maybe not even them), they’re surely the most talked about armed group in the world.

Are the Taleban savvy marketeers? Well, not least because they’ve been responsible for 15 years of human rights violations in Afghanistan and Pakistan yes, they’ve certainly achieved notoriety and massive media attention. In press and publicity terms, their tactics have been crude. Killing large numbers of people nearly always gets you noticed (from Derrick Bird the Cumbrian killer, right through to dictators).

But is there also a more subtle side to their modus operandi? Because their reported offer to take part in a joint commission of inquiry with the UN and Nato into civilian deaths in Afghanistan suggests they’re certainly aware of basic PR issues. Recent UN data on Afghan civilian casualties has been used as “propaganda by the western media”, they say. They want to redress the balance.

But how serious is this? The Taleban may not like the way that reporters and politicians have taken up the fact that the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has found them and other anti-government forces responsible for three quarters of Afghan civilian deaths (nearly 1,000) so far this year, but then they wouldn’t would they?

But if the Taleban to be involved in any inquiry into civilian deaths in Afghanistan they should accept that it will often be their people who could end up being investigated with a view to putting them on trial for war crimes.

Coming just a day or so after the Taleban stoned to death a 20-year-old woman and 28-year-old man for the “crime” of adultery, I think we’d have to say the Taleban are their own worst enemies when it comes to publicity. This was a grotesque and sickening crime and ought to blacken the Taleban’s name for years to come. Analysts believe that something like this happened – at least temporarily – after a video surfaced showing a Taleb in Pakistan publicly flogging a 17-year-old girl woman for a “moral” crime last year. Public opinion in Pakistan was revolted by their behaviour. Similarly, who on earth in the Taleban believes that killing aid workers (or claiming responsibility for killing aid workers) is either justified or good for their image?

In the Observer at the weekend James Fergusson reckoned the Taleban speak for a wide constituency in Afghanistan, but I wonder if the truth isn’t simply that the Taleban are better at instilling fear than anyone else in the country. (Fergusson also says UK troops shouldn’t die for Afghan women’s rights, yet it’s not why they’re there. Meanwhile, it’s surely right nevertheless that the international community supports the human rights of Afghan women where it can).

When it comes right down to it, the Taleban are more skilled in butchering people than in burnishing their image. Put simply: if groups don’t want bad publicity then they shouldn’t blow up civilians and stone to death young couples. (The same goes for Iran and the Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani case: stop all stoning and your reputation might actually improve).

On balance, if I were a brand expert I’d be saying to Mullah Omar: yes, take part in an Afghan civilian deaths inquiry but don’t expect your image to improve very much.

Troy Davis was convicted for the murder of a policeman, which he maintains he did not commit. Convicted solely on eye-witness testimony as there was no physical evidence, Troy’s case has been the subject of global debate and campaigns for years. Or rather, years and years; Troy has been sitting on death row since 1991.

Since Troy’s conviction, 7 of the 9 witnesses who gave evidence against him have either recanted or changed their statements – with some claiming that the police coerced them into testifying against Troy. And yet, Troy still lives his life locked up in Georgia’s state prison, in the shadow of his death sentence.

The case of Troy Anthony Davis speaks of gross injustice, not only with specifically how he has been treated – but more widely as representative of how America’s justice system functions. Or malfunctions, depending on your outlook.  

This week, we have a unique opportunity to hear from Troy’s family, who dedicate a large proportion of their lives to campaigning for justice for Troy. Troy’s sister, Martina Correia, and her teenage son, De’Jaun, will be speaking and taking questions at an event here at Amnesty UK on Wednesday 25 November.

They will be joined by Richard Hughes from Keane, who is a long-term supporter of Troy’s case, and Kim Manning-Cooper, Amnesty UK’s Death Penalty Campaign Manager.

Georgia and the death penalty may feel a long way from our daily reality in the UK. If you want to understand Troy’s case from his family’s perspective and have the chance to ask them questions, make sure you attend the event where is the justice for me?: Campaigning for Troy Davis