WASHINGTON, D.C., JUNE 5, 2001 (Zenit.org).- Death penalty foes have called on President George W. Bush to declare a moratorium on federal executions until more study is done examining why most federal death-row inmates are minorities.
Citizens for a Moratorium on Federal Executions, a group of religious, civil rights and political leaders, said there are serious questions about whether the death penalty is applied fairly, the Associated Press said.
The group cited the FBI´s admission that it failed to turn over more than 4,000 pages of evidence to Timothy McVeigh´s defense team before his trial in the Oklahoma City bombing.
Leaders of the group outlined their concerns in a letter to Bush. Group members include Sister Helen Prejean, author of the book «Dead Man Walking´´; R. Emmett Tyrrell, editor of The American Spectator magazine; and the Reverend Jesse Jackson.
Bush supports the death penalty; Texas executed 152 people while he was governor.