In August, the Government of The Bahamas dealt another...

In August, the Government of The Bahamas dealt another blow to the inter-American system of human rights protection by scheduling the hangings of the two men, despite the fact that their petitions were pending before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Both prisoners petitioned the IACHR, claiming their sentences should be commuted because they were subjected to human rights abuses during the proceedings against them. Mitchell petitioned the Commission on January 1998 and Higgs did so in November 1997. The non judicial human rights commission reviews death penalty cases and makes recommendations, but cannot require member nations to comply with the recommendations. The Government scheduled these executions based on a ruling in 1998 by a national court that executions could be carried out if the IACHR had not issued a decision on petitions within 18 months of them being filed. Both men's petitions have been pending before the IACHR for more than 18 months.