Request For International AIDS Conference To Focus On Human Rights; Executions In Texas May Proceed Despite ICJ Order

By Andrew Benfield
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, North America

MEXICO CITY, Mexico – A coalition of AIDS and human rights organizations are requesting that the biannual International AIDS Conference make human rights a central theme of the conference. 

Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director of Human Rights Watch, said that a government’s “best-planned policies to treat HIV and stop the spread of AIDS will fail” unless they act to end HIV-related rights abuses.  While many governments have enacted legislation to end HIV-related human rights abuses, they have failed to properly implement these policies. 

Richard Elliott, director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, says that it is a “tragic irony that those at the highest risk of HIV often receive less attention.”  For example, in many countries, drug users make up a majority of the population living with HIV.  However, they are the smallest group to receive antiretroviral treatment.  Furthermore, in some countries, police confiscate condoms passed out by AIDS outreach programs and use them as evidence of sex work. 

The International AIDS Conference is to begin August 3 in Mexico City. 

For more information, please see:

Human Rights Watch – Rights Abuses Fueling Global HIV Epidemic – 15 July 2008

International AIDS Conference – 2008

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WASHINGTON, United States – Currently, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague is considering a case brought by Mexico that challenges the death sentence of 51 Mexican nationals in the United States.  These Mexican nationals were denied the right to contact Mexican consular officials after their arrest. 

On July 16, the ICJ ordered the United States to “take all necessary measures” to ensure that several of the Mexican nationals are not executed before the court renders a judgment on the case. 

Despite the ICJ order, Texas plans to go ahead with the executions.  A spokesman for Texas Governor Rick Perry stated, “The world court has no standing in Texas and Texas is not bound by a ruling or edict from a foreign court.”  This Texas position is in direct contradiction to the United States’ recognition that it is responsible, under international law, for the actions of its states. 
Five of the Mexican nationals are scheduled to be executed on August 5.

For more information, please see:

Human Rights Watch – US: Respect World Court Order to Halt Texas Executions – 21 July 2008

The Wall Street Journal – Looming Texas Execution Gets Spotlight – 31 July 2008