Support death row prisoner Troy Davis
Take action on Tuesday 19 May

Why is he on
death row?

In 1991, Troy Davis was sentenced to death for the murder of Police Officer Mark Allen MacPhail at a Burger King in Savannah, Georgia, a murder he maintains he did not commit. The case against him consisted entirely of conflicting testimonies by witnesses who have since recanted or contradicted their statements.  On April 16, by a 2-1 vote, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals denied Troy  Davis's petition for an evidentiary court hearing that would allow these witnesses to be heard and examined.  He is appealing to the Supreme Court, but his chances of being heard by the court are slim. If this fails, a new execution date could be set soon after. 

Is he innocent?

At the original trial, there was no physical evidence against him and the weapon used in the crime was never found. Since then, all but two of the state's non-police witnesses from the trial have changed their testimony. Many of them have stated in sworn affidavits that they were pressured or coerced by police into testifying or signing statements against Troy Davis. One of the two witnesses who has not recanted his testimony is the principal alternative suspect. Nine have signed affidavits implicating this witness as the gunman. The other told the police on the night of the crime that he couldn't "recognize the shooter," but then identified Davis with apparent certainty at the trial two years later.

Who is
supporting him?

For 18 years, Troy has been campaigning against his conviction.  His sister Martina has been his strongest supporter, tirelessly organising as many women do when campaigning for justice for their loved ones. Countless organisations and personalities have supported him for years, including Harry Belafonte and Ravi Shankar. The European Parliament  adopted a motion opposing Troy's execution, calling for a retrial. Amnesty International has supported Troy for many years and on 23 Oct 2008 called for a Global Day of Action in 30 cities round the world. Following Amnesty's latest call for 19 May to be a day of action, 80 cities are planning events in the US and 20 outside, including in Argentina, Australia, Colombia, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Mexico, Turkey, Uganda and the UK.  Payday and the Global Women's Strike are calling on their networks to send messages of protest, to write directly to Troy, and to take other action.

How can
I support him?

WRITE TO Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue asking him to stop the execution and commute the sentence.
    Send Amnesty International model message here
    Send your own message here
 

SPREAD THE WORD  Forward this email to friends and colleagues.

For more information: www.troyanthonydavis.org