Saturday, September 10, 2011

Troy Davis scheduled to be killed

On 7 September, Amnesty International, a human right organization, sent an email alert to supporters about the scheduled killing of Troy Davis by the state of Georgia. According to the email, Troy Davis is scheduled to be killed on 21 September 2011, just 11 days from today.

Troy Anthony Davis was convicted for the murder of a police officer in Savannah, Georgia, USA. He was sentenced to death and has been on death row since 1991.

Seven out of the nine main eyewitnesses who testified during the trial of Davis and linked him to the killing have recanted their testimonies, and the convict has maintained that he is innocent. Some of the witnesses said they were coerced by the police to testify against Davis. The murder weapon has never been found and there is no physical evidence linking Troy Davis to the murder. Even some jurors who convicted Davis have expressed concern about the looming execution. [Source].

Despite the many questions surrounding his guilt, the state of Georgia has scheduled the execution of Troy Davis. His guilt has not been proven "beyond reasonable doubt."

An innocent man could be executed on 21 September 2011.

Amnesty International is running a campaign to stop the execution of Troy Davis. The organization is asking rights supporters to sign a petition opposing the death penalty for Troy Davis because doubts about his guilt have not been cleared.

Many prominent individuals, including former US President Jimmy Carter and civil rights activist Al Sharpton oppose the killing of Troy Davis because "the doubts about the Davis case have not been resolved..." and "Georgia might execute an innocent man..."

Photo source.
You are encouraged to sign the petition. Do not let Georgia kill Troy Davis.

Troy's story evokes memories of the fictional case of Donte Drumm, a prisoner sentenced to death in John Grisham's book - The Confession.

Facts About Capital Punishment published by Amnesty International reveal that capital punishment is deeply flawed and more than 130 people have been released from death rows in the US due to wrongful convictions.



"I cannot support a system which, in its administration, has proven so fraught with error and has come so close to the ultimate nightmare, the state's taking of innocent life... Until I can be sure that everyone sentenced to death in Illinois is truly guilty, until I can be sure with moral certainty that no innocent man or woman is facing a lethal injection, no one will meet that fate." 
[George Ryan, 39th Governor of Illinois].



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