INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
Peace Palace, 2517 KJ The Hague. Tel: +31 (0)70 302 23 23. Cables: Intercourt,
The Hague. Fax: +31 (0)70 364 99 28. Telex: 32323. E-mail address:
[email protected]. Internet address: http://www.icj-cij.org.
Press Release
Unofficial
No. 2003117
27 May 2003
Avena and Other Mexican Nationals
(Mexico v.United States of America)
Extension of time-limits for the filing of written pleadings
THE HAGUE, 27 May 2003. The President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has
extended the time-limits for the filing ofwritten pleadings in the case conceming Avena ander
Mexican Nationals (Mexico v. United States of America).
By an Order of 22 May 2003, President Shi Jiuyong has extended to 20 June 2003 the
time-limit for the filing of a Memorial by Mexico and to 3 November 2003 the time-limit for the
filingof a Counter-Memorial by the United States of America. This extension was made at the
joint request of the Parties.
The subsequent procedure has been reserved for further decision.
History of the proceedings
On 9 January 2003 Mexico initiated proceedings before the Court against the United States of
America in a dispute conceming alleged violations of Articles 5 and 36 of the Vienna Convention
on Consular Relations of 24 April 1963 with respect to 54 Mexican nationals who had been
sentenced to death in certaintates of the United States.
Pending final judgment in the case, Mexico further asked the Court to indicate provisional
measures, and in particular to order the Unitedates to take ali measures necessary to ensure that
no Mexican national was executed, and that no action was taken that might prejudice the rights of
the United Mexican States or its nationals with respect to any decision the Court might render on
the merits of the case. At the hearings held on 21 January 2003, Mexico confirmed its request for
the indication of provisional measures, while the United States asked the Court to reject that
request and not to indicate any such measures.
On 5 February 2003, the Court unanimously adopted an Order indicating provisional
measures. In that Order, it decided that the United States of America should take "ali measures
necessary" to ensure that Mr. CésarRoberto Fierro Reyna, Mr. Roberto Moreno Ramos and
Mr. Osvaldo Torres Aguilera, ofMexican nationality, are not executed pending a finaljudgment of
the Court; that the United States of America should inform the Court of ali measures taken in
implementation of that Order; and that the Court would remain seised of the matters which formed
the subjectf the Order until it had rendereditsfinaljudgment. -2-
By a separate Order, also dated 5 February 2003, the Court, taking into account the views of
the Parties, had fixed 6 June 2003 as the time-limit for the filing of a Memorial by Mexico and
6 October 2003 as the time-limit for the filing of a Counter-Memorial by the United States of
America.
The full text of the Order will shortly be available on the Court's website at the following
address: www.icj-cij.org
Information Department:
Mr. Arthur Th. Witteveen, First Secretary (+31 70 302 23 36)
Mrs. Laurence Blairon and Mr. Boris Heim, Information Officers (+31 70 302 23 37)
E-mail address: [email protected]
Avena and other Mexican Nationals (Mexico v. United States of America) - Extension of time-limits for the filing of written pleadings