Posted September 20, 2011
On Tuesday Morning, the Georgia Board of Parole and Pardons ruled that the state should proceed with the killing of Troy Davis, scheduled for Wednesday night. Their decision to uphold the sentence is a decision to send a man to his death based on the slimmest of “evidence” and over the protest of thousands.
Davis was convicted in 1991 for the killing of a Savannah police officer, but no murder weapon or other physical evidence was ever produced. Seven of the nine witnesses who testified in the case have since recanted, citing police intimidation–and one of the remaining two witnesses has himself bragged about being the real killer.
Since 2007, Troy Davis has faced lethal injection three times. Each time, outrage over the injustice has fueled determined opposition to his execution–most dramatically in the past two weeks since his execution warrant was signed on September 7. Just eight days later, over 660,000 petition signatures requesting clemency had been collected online and door-to-door. That number is surely much higher now. On Friday, thousands of people demonstrated around the world; a mass march of over 3,000 in Atlanta was one of the biggest protests against a death penalty case in the past decade.
Thousands demonstrate in Atlanta against the execution of Troy Davis.
But now the Georgia Parole Board has committed an outrage. There have been other moments when Troy’s death seemed imminent and there are still ways to fight. Supporters can contact the Parole and Pardons board to voice their outrage (404-656-5651) and e-mail (Webmaster@pap.state.ga.us), call Chatham County District Attorney Larry Chisolm (912-652-7308) or sign the NAACP petition to ask that he withdraw the death warrant, and attend emergency demonstrations that will be popping up around the country. In Atlanta on Tuesday, a rally is planned for 6pm in Woodruff Park that will march to a 7pm protest at the State Capitol.
Another course of action proposed by activists at the Southern Center for Human Rights is calling on the doctor and other workers would carry out the execution to strike, to refuse to kill Troy Davis. Please spread this statement. You can also send a letter to:
Dr. Carlo Musso, President, and Employees
CorrectHealth
9020 Peridot Parkway
Stockbridge, GA 30281
Fax: 770-692-4754
If you are use Twitter, please post one or all of these sample messages to help get the word out on the letter to Dr. Musso:
- Take action to stop #TroyDavis #execution – call on doctor to refuse to participate in killing! http://bit.ly/ogaTRR
- Tell #DrMusso to do no harm! Refuse to #execute #TroyDavis!!! http://bit.ly/ogaTRR
- GA prison execution staff: Refuse to participate in an immoral #execution of a man who may be innocent #TroyDavis http://bit.ly/ogaTRR