ACLU Sues Federal Government For Scheduling Executions During Coronavirus Pandemic
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Department of Justice for resuming executions amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Rev. Seigen Hartkemeyer, a 68-year-old Buddhist monk who has a history of lung-related illnesses. He is one of the designated witnesses for the federal execution of Wesley Purkey, a Kansas man who is scheduled to die by lethal injection on July 15. Designated witnesses are required to be present at executions, due to federal regulations.
Throughout the pandemic, Hartkemeyer has been careful to socially distance and not visit public places he used to; he fears that attending the execution to perform his religious duties would put him at heightened risk for contracting COVID-19, as social distancing measures would not be possible at the prison.
Forcing Hartkemeyer to risk his own health to perform his religious duties at Purkey’s execution is a violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act the lawsuit alleges.
“As Mr. Purkey’s priest for the last 11 years, I have a religious obligation to be present at his execution to ease his crossover from this life,” Hartkemeyer said in a statement. “I should not have to risk my health and life to perform my sacred priestly duties. We must ask ourselves how much we are willing to sacrifice to enable the government to perpetuate a cycle of killing.”
For the first time in 17 years, the federal government has scheduled four executions, from July 13 to Aug. 28. The Supreme Court last month refused to block upcoming federal executions.
Purkey, who was convicted of raping and killing a 16-year-old girl in 1998 and murdering an 80-year-old woman, is among those scheduled to be executed later this month. The ACLU, however, is asking the court to postpone the execution until a vaccine or effective treatment for COVID-19 is made available to the public.
“The fact that the federal government has scheduled these...
