Last we told you about a plea from the Mexican courts to the U.N. for intervention in the impending executions of 5 Mexican nationals in the state of Texas. Today, at least one of them is a mere 24 hours away from death. The State of Texas has chosen to ignore international clamor and discard allegations that the suspect was never allowed the right to speak to his consulate while under arrest. The Houston Chronicle reports:

At issue is Texas’ refusal to hold a hearing to determine whether Medellin’s defense was harmed by his inability to confer with Mexican consular officials at the time of his arrest. A suspect’s right to talk with his consulate is guaranteed by the United Nations’ Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, to which the United States is a party.

Medellin insists he told both Houston police and Harris County officers that he is a Mexican citizen. Prosecutors say the killer never informed authorities of his nationality.

In a sworn statement, Medellin said he learned that the Mexican Consulate could possibly help him in 1997, four years after his arrest. He unsuccessfully petitioned the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on the issue in 1998.

The U.N’s World Court called for Medellin and others who were denied consular rights to be granted a hearing back in 2004, but it never happened as the Supreme Court said that only the U.S. Congress could call for a hearing.

Meanwhile, Texas is living up to its reputation of being execution-happy, as some experts fear that the state’s mala fama will reflect on the entire country at the international level:

“Outside of Texas this is a huge diplomatic misstep,” said Columbia Law School professor Sarah Cleveland. ” … Unfortunately, I doubt that the international community is likely to brush this off as simply the actions of Texas. In the international community (and under all U.S. treaty obligations) the United States is responsible for Texas’ actions.”

Via / Houston Chronicle