Stay of Execution granted to Troy Davis
Amnesty International announces the stay of execution granted to Troy Davis by the US Supreme Court's 11th Circuit Court of Appeals!
from Amnesty International's public announcement:
I am delighted to share some good news with you! Troy Davis
received a stay of execution based on a new last-minute appeal filed
this past Wednesday to the federal appeals court in Atlanta. As a
result, he will not be executed on Monday, October 27th, as originally
scheduled.
Your action has succeeded in putting a spotlight on Troy's case worldwide and bringing about this victory. At least 300,000 individuals have written letters in support of Troy.
Additionally, prominent leaders such as former President Jimmy Carter,
the Pope, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have all called for justice in
this case.
Yesterday,
Amnesty International organized a Global Day of Action in which
hundreds of activists in dozens of countries around the world came
together to stand in solidarity for Troy.
From Atlanta to Seattle, New York to Paris and Milan– hundreds of
supporters gathered at rallies wearing T-shirts and holding signs that
read "I am Troy Davis." On Wednesday, the European Legislature issued a statement calling for Troy's execution to be halted.
While we pause to celebrate this good news, we cannot forget that Troy still faces the very real possibility of execution—despite the fact that no physical evidence tied him to the 1989 murder of a police officer in Savannah, GA, and that 7 of the 9 eyewitnesses have since recanted their testimony.
This case has taken many twists and turns. On September 12th, the
Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles denied clemency for Troy Anthony Davis, and scheduled his execution for September 23rd. The U.S. Supreme Court stayed Davis'
execution just hours before it was scheduled to take place. But in
deciding not to hear his case, the court lifted its stay and a new
execution date was set for Monday, October 27th.
We now await the decision of the federal appeals court, which will determine whether Troy's case warrants a new hearing. We believe their ruling could happen at any time during the next month.
To stay informed about Troy Davis' case and to find out how to take additional actions, please visit:
www.amnestyusa.org/troydavis
In solidarity,
Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn
Director, Death Penalty Abolition Campaign
Amnesty International USA