Victim forgives death row inmate

A federal court judge in Austin ruled Wednesday afternoon that Mark Stroman's execution would not be stayed, despite a request by Rais Bhuiyan, one of Stroman's victims. Bhulyan's lawsuit had contended that the state has ignored his rights as a victim and his Islamic faith required him to seek mercy and forgiveness for his attacker.

Stroman

U.S. Distict Judge Lee Yeakel noted that “the irreparable injury asserted by Bhuiyan — his claim of violation of the Crime Victims’ Rights statute being rendered moot — is outweighed by the damage to the operation of the criminal justice system as a whole that would result from this court’s granting the requested stay.”

Stroman is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Huntsville. Attorneys representing Bhuiyan are filing an emergency appeal to the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

One of Bhuiyan’s most ardent supporters, human rights activist Rick Halperin of SMU, issued this statement:

“I am not surprised but I am extremely disappointed in the callousness that the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and Gov. Perry have taken toward these specific pleas for mercy and compassion and life from both the survivor and the victims’ family members.  It is now at long last painfully clear that there is no such thing in Texas as clemency for condemned inmates. It is equally painful to realize that victims of violent crimes who speak on behalf of mercy and compassion are to be ignored or marginalized by the stalling of top appointed and elected officials.”

Halperin is not optimistic about a stay of execution from the Fifth Circuit. "My gut reaction is that Mark Stroman will be put to death," he said. "I'm just prepared for the worst."

Halperin, director of SMU’s Embrey Human Rights Program, is the former elected chair of Amnesty International USA and a current board member of the human rights organization.

# # #