04/20/22 04/20/22 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> my nephew attends the school. when the blast happened, i ran out to see what was going on and i saw the students running out of the houses. there were a lot of people outside the school gate and then another blast took place. amy: a prominent voice is targeted by two deadly bombings

in the heart of the neighborhood. we will get an update on the security situation in afghanistan under the taliban. u.s. border officials have arrested a record of over one million asylum-seekers in the past six months, while at the same time welcoming thousands of ukrainian refugees fleeing russia's invasion. >> the corct treatment of ukrainian refugees at th border shows the covid related motor restriction implement it under the trump administration and expanded by the biden administration wer never about public health. instead, they were meant to keep black and brown asylum-seekers from seeking safety in the united states. amy: we will go to tijuana to speak with immigration attorney erika pinheiro. she was monitored under the trump administration. one week from today, texas plans to execute melissa lucio for the death of her daughter despite

widespread concerns she is innocent and a push by over 100 taxes lawmakers to spare her life led in part by republican state lawmaker. >> as a conservative republican myself who has long been a supporter of the death penalty in the most heinous cases, i've never seen a more troubling case than the case of melissa lucio. amy: we will speak with the innocence project lawyer now fighting to save her life. all that in more, coming up. welcome to democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. the united nations' refugee agency says five million people have fled ukraine since the start of russia's invasion. another 7 million people are displaced inside ukraine. russia has rejected a call from u.n. secretary general antonio guterres for a four-day ceasefire.

he had called for the fighting to stop as orthodox christians in russia and ukraine prepare to mark easter this sunday. >> instead of celebration of a new life, coincides with the russian offensive in eastern ukraine. the intense confrontation of forces and firepower makes this inevitably more violent, bloody, and destructive. the onslaught and terrible toll on civilians we have seen so far would pale in comparison to the order that lies ahead. these cannot be allowed to happen. amy: he was speaking of front of the knotted guns culture at the united nations. this comes as russian forces escalate shelling in eastern ukraine in an attempt to capture the entire donbas region. in the besieged eastern city of mariupol, ukrainian forces are continuing to reject an ultimatum from russia to lay

down their arms. while russia has seized most of the port city, ukrainian forces and civilians remain holed up in a massive steel plant. the deadline passed with ukrainian forces remaining inside. meanile, an agreement has been reached to allow women, children, and elderly people to escape mariupol through a humanitarian corridor. in other developments, the biden administration is pected to announce a new $800 million military package for ukraine including artillery as well as anti-armor and anti-air equipment. as the west funnels weapons to ukraine, "the new york times" has revealed it has uncovered evidence that ukrainian forces fired banned cluster munitions in at least one town during its fight with russian forces. the weapons are banned under the convention on cluster munitions though the ukraine, russia, and the united states never signed the treaty. a prominent russian banker who was recently sanctioned by the british government has called for an end to what he describes

"this iane war." oleg tinkov, who now lives outside of russia, claimed that 90% of rsians are against the war. tinkov made the mments in an instagram post. he wrote -- "dear 'collective west' please give mr. putin a clear exit to save his face and stop this massacre. please be more rational and humanitarian." the world food program is warning 20 million peoplcould go hungry in the horn of africa because of a massive drought and rising fuel and food prices due to the war in ukraine. last week, the u.n. projected 350,000 children in somalia could die of starvation in the coming months if the world doesn't act quickly. the u.n. has been trying to raise $1.5 billion for its somalia humanitarian response plan, but so far it has only been able to raise about 4% of that total. a british judge has ordered the

extradition of wikileaks founder julian assange to the united states where he faces a 175 year -- he faces 170 five years in prison. the final decision on assange's extradition will now be made by u.k. home secretary priti patel. amnesty international's simon crowther spoke outside the courthouse prior to today's ruling. >> julian assange is being prosecuted for espionage for publishing sensitive information it was classified. if he is extradited to the u.s. come all journalists around the world will have to look over their shoulders because if they publish something u.s. considers to be classified, they will face the risk of being extradited. amy: the justice department is holding off on appealing a federal judge's ruling that struck down the biden administration's mask mandate for travelers. on tuesday, the justice department said it would appeal only if the cdc decides a mask mandate is still needed.

on tuesday, president biden declined to urge airline passengers to continue wearing masks on planes. >> should people continue to wear masks on planes? pres. biden: that is up to them. >> would you like to appeal the ruling? pres. biden: i have not spoken to the cdc yet. amy: in sri lanka, mass protests are continuing as the nation faces dire shortages of food, fuel, and medicine. on tuesday, one protester died after sri lankan police opened fire on protesters in the city of rambukkana. 12 protesters were reportedly hospitalized. protesters are calling for sri lanka's president to resign. >> we can't make ends meet. we have no electricity or gas. the price of rice has skyrocketed. we have no choice but to go on the street. we took to the streets to throw

this government out. amy: the solomon islands has signed a security deal with china, sparking criticism from the united states, australia, and new zealand. the text of the deal has not been released but leaked documents indicate it could allow china to send troops and naval ships to the pacific island nation where a key battle in world war ii was fought. solomon lands prime minister manasseh sahgovare spoke on tuesday. let me asre the people of the solomon islands tha we entered into an arrangement with ina with our eyes wide open, guided by our national interests. we have full understanding of the fragility of peace and our duty as a state is to protect all people, their properties, and critical national infrastructures of the country. amy: the biden administration has expressed alarm over the deal and is sending two top

officials to the solomon islands this week. the u.s. is also moving to reopen an embassy in the solomon islands. state department press secretary -- spokesperson ned price addressed the issue on monday. >> that signing such an agreement could increase destabilization within the solomon islands and will set a concerning precedent for the wider pacific island region. amy: in east timor, the nobel peace laureate josé ramos-horta has taken a commanding lead in tuesday's presidential election over incumbent francisco "lú-olo" guterres. with almost half of the votes counted, ramos-horta has about 59% of the vote. ramos-horta previously led east timor from 2007 to 2012. a catholic diocese in southern new jersey has agreed to pay $87.5 million to settle hundreds of sexual abuse claims dating back to the 1950's.

thsettlement comes three years after the diocese of camden, new jersey, acknowledged that of its priests and one deacon had been credibly accused of sexual abuse. the u.s. education department has announced changes to two student loan programs to fix what the department described as long-standing failures. with the changes come about -- with the changes, about 40,000 people will have their debts forgiven. another 3.6 million borrowers will receive some credit toward their debts owed. the move come as the biden administration faces growing pressure to cancel all federal student debt. student debt cancellation would give relief to some 40 finally people who own nearly $1.8 trillion in student loans. new government data shows the united states has arrestedore than one million migrants at the u.s.-mexico border since october. it's the highest total in at

least 20 years. meanwhile, disturbing details have emerged about the death of a mexican mother who died last week as she tried to cross into the united states. griselda verduzco armenta tried to climb over the 30-foot high border fence near douglas, arizona, but she choked to death after getting entangled in a climbing harness. border authorities found her hanging upside down on the border fence. one relative claimed griselda tried to cross the border with the help of coyotes who then left her hanging once got entangled. the u.s. justice department is considering taking control of the new york city jail complex at rikers island. the u.s. attorney for the southern district of new york, damian williams, has told a federal judge that he was alarmed by the "extraordinary level of violence and disorder at the jails." in january, prisoners at rikers staged a hunger strike to protest deplorable conditions

inside, citing the rapid spread of covid, inadequate heating, and a growing level of violence. 16 people have died at the jail last year. in news from michigan, more details have emerged about the police killing of patrick lyoya, a 26-year-old ngolese refugee who was shot dead after a traffic stop on april 4. an independent autopsy has determined that the grand rapids police officer who killed lyoya first pressed his gun against the back of lyo's head before shooting him. vil rights attorney ben crump spoke at a press conference on tuesday. >> today, based on scientific evidence, we can confirm that patrick lyoya was shot in the back of his head. that is now scientific evidence

of this tragic killing and what his family believes was an execution. amy: a federal judge in minnesota has sentenced a st. paul man to year in prison for threatening house speaker nancy pelosi shortly after the january 6 insurrection. meanwhile, a donald trump supporter in florida has pleaded guilty to federal charges that he had threatened to kill democratic congress member ilhan omar three years ago. in labor news, workers at five starbucks stores in richmond , virginia, have overwhelmingly voted to unionize. senator bernie sanders praised the news, tweeting -- "the movement of workers demanding dignity on the job wins again." and those are some of the headlines. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman in new york, joined by democracy now! co-host juan gonzález in new brunswick, new jersey. hi, juan. juan: hi, amy. welcome to all of our listeners

and viewers from around the country and around the world. amy: we begin today's show in kabul where a prominent voice high school was targeted by two deadly bombings in the heart of the community. the blast struck students as they were leaving class tuesday morning. this is a witness. close my nephew attends this school. when the blast happened, i ran out to see what was happening to us all the students running out of the houses. there were a lot of people outside the school gate and then another blast took place. amy: western media reports at least six people were killed and 20 injured by the blast but witnesses and leaders say at least 126 people were killed and yesterday suicide attack and at least 73 wounded. many were teenaged students. no group has claimed responsibility as the attacks are so much a previous strikes

claimed by isisk. for more on this and the sacred situation on afghanistan under the taliban, we are joined by bilal sarwary, afghan journalist who reported on afghanistan from kabul for 20 years. he fled the country after the taliban takeover last year. joining us now from toronto. welcome back to democracy now! thank you so much for joining us. can you explain the significance of what took place yesterday? talk specifically about the community that was targeted and what this means for afghanistan. >> thank you. good to be with you again. this was a brutal and deadly attack targeting students in the community. a neighborhood that has been targeted time and again, whether you talk about or the republic the taliban in power.

this was a massacre. i mean, parents working as drivers, parents who are farmers from central afghanistan were investing in the education of their children, simply hoped it would be the doctors and engineers and future leaders of afghanistan. instead, they were murdered. some of them are missing body parts. the only remains that parents have. what we also see is the failure now for nearly 20, 21 years where the hazara community, the shias are not protected. there targeted for being hazara. feel the pain for hazaras because they are being targeted for who they are. but at the same time, we also see the taliban forcefully guarding a narrative that suits

them, a narrative where they say, afghanistan is an island of perfection under the taliban, everything is ok. and even if you look at the official accounts of what happened yesterday, the taliban were very quick to downplay this incident. we also saw taliban soldiers feeding some of the relatives of the victims. they also prevented people from donating blood. it is quite heartbreaking to see the hazaras treated in such manner. juan: could you talk about how large is the hazara community within afghanistan? also, although we don't know for sure it was the islamic state that was responsible, there's a lot of suspicion they were behind it, how have the taliban been dealing with the islamic state? has it been growing in size or

are what has been the government's policy toward them? >> the hazaras and shias are the beating heart of afghanistan. this is the community that has invested in education. there are students coming from places that have dedicated themselves trying to get the education, so they are extremely hard-working. throughout the history of afghanistan, they have been the victims of many great injustices. but over the last 20 years, they were prominent in a key part of the post-taliban afghanistan. as far as the islamic state is concerned, they have a presence in eastern afghanistan. they have been silently recruiting, buying weapons from the black market but also from some taliban promoters who were selling them almost an open secret.

the presence of the islamic state in northern afghanistan is actually there, and there is a risk that they would be joining the islamic state. this is a major threat taliban to the taliban is a government, but also a major threat in terms of having the foreign fighters that flow from places like syria over the last 8, 9 months when the taliban took over. the taliban would like you to believe they have a fix for this. they would like you to believe that they could defeat daesh, the islamic state. that is easier said than done. if you look at news coming out the islamic state launched rockets from northern afghanistan, that is something that has happened for the first time over the last 20 years. so you have this regional fear

coming from afghanistan, the region is extremely scared. what happens now that the taliban also are hosting thousands of foreign fighters from al qaeda and other transnational jihadi groups, not to forget the fact the taliban have officially opened suicide battalions and brigades within their interior ministry, within their defense ministry. so this is a massive conundrum for the region, which i would like to call the regional conundrum. the taliban so far have failed to regain the trust of the neighboring countries. forget about the international community, forget about the afghan peoe that they have really been cracking down against. juan: speaking of the neighboring community, pakistan -- the shia community in pakistan has also been targeted

in recent years. good you talk about what is happening there? it looks like it might be islamic state people as well attacking in pakistan? >> if we look at the history of the last let's save 30 years or so, there has been a number of militant extremist, sunni groups. many inside pakistan that have targeted the shia communities. this community remains extremely vulnerable from these militant groups. but in afghanistan specifically, where all of this deadly trend -- the government, i must also say, not only the taliban, have failed to come up with a strategy where they can provide security to the hazaras and shia s. i remember during the republic's

time, even weapons were handed over to the community in kabul. the government said, look, we simply cannot provide security so you will have to do it for yourself. and you have to actually ask the question, why is it that there has been dozens and dozens of these deadly attacks happening in one specific area in west kabul, which is predominantly a shia hazara hazara-community, where they have been residing. i call it a great betrayal toward people that are extremely committed to a brighter future of afghanistan. amy: can you talk about what is happening to girls and education? this neighborhood was the side of the bombing of a girls school last year. and yet the latest news of the taliban closing schools for girls above sixth grade, just hours after they reopened?

>> what we have seen and afghanistan is full-scale talibanization. if we go back to august 15 since the taliban took over power militarily, we were told this was taliban hazara.0 -- taliban 2.0. they have an all forms of entertainment. they have cracked down on afghan media. the taliban have banned the education for girls. all sorts of excuses. if you listen to the taliban. the reality is, this is an ideological issue for the taliban. basically do not want to allow it. what we also see is the most powerful taliban, the ideological ones, those who are calling the shots, are against it. so you have certain taliban leaders, especially the younger

ones, taking this issue under social media and saying, this is great injustice, i want my daughters to be educated. it is quite depressing at the moment because afghanistan is a country where millions of girls will not be able to achieve their dreams of becoming doctors and engineers and teachers. if you look at the last 20 years, afghan -- played a massive role and rebuilding the country. especially people who were born in 1998, 19 99, 2000. they are today the leaders. today, people who have successfully represented afghanistan all over the world. it also have played a very important role in afghanistan. i feel so sorry and i feel so helpless as an afghan to see the education is not a choice, education is not available --

not only to afghan girl specifically, but also to a larger part of the afghan community. amy: yet, with all of this, have this week 40 organizations writing a letter to president biden urging him to reverse his decision to block the afghan central bank from accessing $7 billion of afghanistan's money held in the united states to prevent this looming committed terry and catastrophe of hunger. can you respond as we wrap up? >> well, this is part of the consistent failures of the biden administration, how he conducted things and afghanistan. could've had a peace process. could've had a permanent cease-fire. in a manner that he ordered the evacuation in the 11th hour, but

also the responsibility of the taliban. it is now on the taliban. there are the government. they have to do goodbye the people of afghanistan, treat them respectfully, and regain the trust of the international community. when used about the unfreezing, people like myselfave lost money that i had trusted the banks with. so the money actually belongs to the people of afghanistan. at some stage, would hope there would be a sensible and logical solution coming out. afghanistan today is facing extreme levels of poverty. millions of afghans are facing the risk of mass starvation. that in itself is the tragedy of 21st century. it shows you what a waste it was over the last 20 years investing billions of dollars, all the sacrifices, and the end result

is the epic failure that we are experiencing today. amy: bilal sarwary, thank you for being with us afghan , journalist who reported on afghanistan for 20 years. he left the country after the taliban takeover last year and is now in toronto, canad next up, we go to the border to speak an immigration lawyer about how u.s. border oicials have arrested a record one million asylum-seekers in the past six months while at the same time welcoming thousands of ukrainian refugees fleeing russia's invasion. a number of them coming up to the southern border. stay with us. ♪♪ [music break]

this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman with juan gonzalez. we turn now to the u.s.-mexico border, where u.s. immigration authorities have arrested over a million asylum seekers in the past six months -- a record number that comes as many are fleeing economic and political

crises, horrific violence, and the impacts of the climate emergency in haiti, cuba, central and south america, and africa. since russia's invasion of ukraine in late february, thousands of ukrainian refugees have also trekked to the u.s.-mexico border in search for safety. s. border officials have processed nearly 10,000 ukrainians in the past two months. ndreds of ukrainians camped out in the border city of tijuana, mexico, earlier this month hoping to be allowed into the united states. >> i could not cry in ukraine. i did not cry in ukraine at all. i thank you through my tears. i thank you for this place, for this food, and for our dream --

when victory comes, we will go the same day. the same day to ukraine. >> little by little, the cap started being formed because this is going to go on for a long time. as long as the war continues and there is no direction from europe to the united states for the ukrainians, they will continue to arrive in tijuana. they will have to depend on the charity and generosity of the people of tijuana. amy: in addition to the camp at the border, ukrainian refugees are also staying at a shelter in tijuana. >> i am really surprised about how people have been helping us here. the conditions are perfect. the most iressive thing is how mexican and american people e trying to help us and how erybody wants to offer as assistant somehow. amy: immigrant justice advocates have welcomed efforts to process and help ukrainian refugees at the border, while also

condemning the u.s. government's hypocrisy as it continues to brutalize and criminalize black, indigenous, and other asylum seekers who don't come from white european nations. many have waited months even years to be a processed. forced to wait and i must dangerous conditions. this is a hundred asylum seekers at a shelter in tijuana, mexico. >> got worse and worse. from february 2 this time, and were with guns, not 15 to 20 years behind. we have the same bullets killed those people, kill us also. why they're treating us this way. they can take all the ukrainian people into the united states but they don't take hispanic

people. amy: for more, we're joined by erika pinheiro, an immigration attorney based in tijuana, mexico, and the policy and litigation director of al otro lado, a binational nonprofit helping asylum seekers on both sides of the u.s.-mexico border. she herself was targeted by the trump administration, monitored and surveilled. erika, if you can talk about this double standard, but it looks like where you are in tijuana -- we're not talking about ukrainians who are coming, flying into the united states where ey can find a lot of bureaucracy, so they, too, are coming through the southern border. but they are allowed in. >> yeah, we've seen thousands of ukrainians coming through tijuana. their trips to mexico are mostly financed by families, church groups in united states who helped them fly from europe to mexico city and then onward to tijuana.

volunteer groups are standing by at the airport. there core knitting with cbp to give ukrainians a number on a list and cbp are processing up to 1000 ukrainians per day at a port of entry where border officials claimed they did not have capacity to even process0 other asylum seekers per day for the past few years. in tijuana government has also provided an enormous amount of resources to ukrainian migrants, even giving them a municipal funded shelter where they have food, shelter, bed, all because services available to them months after they violently evicted a cap of indigenous asylum-seekers who had camped at the board for more than a year waiting for their chance to seek asylum. many have now ended up homeless on the street in tijuana. juan: these reports are astounding.

i have heard reports there was a special mindset about the border crossing in tijuana just for ukrainians, sort of like a tsa line, special priority line? is that true? >> that is accurate. part of the port of entry was closed down when title 42, the covid related border restrictions, were put in place march 2020. customs and border protection has reopened the section of the port of entry and it is solely dedicated to humanitarian processing of ukrainians. as i mentioned come up to 1000 are being transported each day by church groups and are being processed in a very orderly fashion by cbp. this shows us border officials to have the capacity to humanly process thousandof asylum-seekers in thing had the political will to do so. juan: and the impact on others who are waiting, for instance, hondurans and guatemalans, there appear to be more ukrainians

being processed for asylum in a few weeks and an entire year of salvadorans and hondurans who have been admitted for asylum in the united states, despite decades of having some of the highest homicide rates in the world in also the door and honduras -- also the door and honduras. what is impact on those waiting and watching? >> i can say for myself and also on behalf of bit of the migrants with who we were, everyone wants to support the ukrainians. the war they are flaying is horrific. the way there treated at the border is that way everyone should be treated. migrants who have been waiting for years now in job corps will conditions, many of whom have suffered rates, attended kidnappings -- attempted kidnappings awaiting these dangerous border cities are hurt and angry at saying ukrainians being processed while they are

being left waiting. it is worse. since ukrainians and even russians have been coming to tijuana in particular, where as other asylum seekers could approach the border and as for attention previously -- of course they would be turned away but now mexican law enforcement officials are posted at the border with an immigration ban -- honduran even try to a porch board officials and they will be arrested and detained and a mexican immigration prison for even attempting to seek safety in the united states. amy: erika, axios reported tuesday that president biden's inner circle has been discussing delaying the repeal of title 42 border restrictions now set to end may 23. these are the trump-era pandemic restrictions that prevent people from coming into the united states on public health/safety

grounds. these have been suspended for ukrainians. but if you can talk about the number of democrats and republicans who have been to mandate that biden reimpose, extend title 42, and what that means as follows this double standard of ukrainians not being subject to it as others are? >> so part of the problem here is really the way that the media has been talking about the repeal of title 42. i have seen numerous stories in which the migrants who have been waiting patiently at the border for the ports of entry to reopen have been characterized as a surge or a wave -- i have seen language referring to the repeal of title 42 as a crisis. dhs, dartment homeland security, estimates approximately 25,000 asylum-seekers are waiting at the border for title 42 to be

repealed. again, keep in mind, in the past few weeks, u.s. border officials have processed over 10,000 ukrainians. again, they have the ability, the capacity to process the number of asylum-seekers who are waiting at the border easily in an orderly and humane fashion when the political will is there. the only difference here is those waiting are largely black and indigenous and other asylum-seekers who are not white european. i really believe that we need to start speaking about the migrants were waiting in a different way. i think that is a huge part of the problem. it is really seeing that kind of rhetoric in the media, seeing that repeated by members of congress who should know better is extremely disappointing and really dehumanizing for folks who have been waiting patiently at the border for it to reopen. juan: erika, there appears to be clearly a racial context to this

border policy, but also a political foreign policy context. as i understand it, there has been a significant increase over the past year in the number of cubans crossing into united states along the mexican border in getting asylum. we saw back in the central american war period that nicaraguans who were fleeing from the sandinista rule got much more higher percentage of asylum grants from the united states than did salvadorans and guatemalans. basically, the united states favors granting asylum to refugees from those countries for with which it has political -- politically supports? >> that has always been the case with asylum. asylum is supposed to be a universal standard protecting individuals fleeing persecution

om any country. but in practice, it has always been a political tool wielded by the united states to favor those fleeing regimes that the united states opposes. now, it is interesting with the ukrainians. the u.s. does not grant asylum for general conditions in country. so generally, i could not get asylum as a ukrainian just because my country is at war. most of these asylum-seekers come the 1000 who have been processed from ukraine, probably would not qualify for asylum under u.s. law, whereas many of those who are turned away, including russians who are flaying this and conflict -- i have spoken with dozens of russians here in tijuana who protested the war against ukraine, have been brutally required -- repressed by the regime, fled the same issue and are turned away from ports of entry and are waiting here in tijuana. they would all if i for asylum under u.s. law but are being turned away under the title 42

policy. two things are happening. one, certain nationalities are being allowed to even access you miniature protection in the united states while others are being turned away and then once in the united states, whether or not they gain asylum is really a political question rather than a legal one. amy: the home basically secretary was warned in cuba come as a cuban refugee in the united states. i wanted to ask you about the fact you have ukrainians given shelter and indoor facilities while patients and central americans and others have had to sleep on the streets are makeshift camps outside ports of entry. finally, to ask you yourself, erika, the kind of work you are doing, the trump administration was sued, the aclu sued on your

behalf because you were targeted by the trump administration as they monitored and surveilled your immigration advocacy work, if there is a difference with the biden administration? >> i have seen -- clear signs the surveillance of my work continues under the biden administration. of course, not to the same extent under the trump administration during which i was detained in mexico, removed from mexico at the behest of the u.s. government. i am in a very different position where we are in more of a stakeholder relationship with the biden administration, but just with respect to the situation right now, i can tell you had i done or -- even if today i would do for central american migrants what ukrainians, americans, or others helping the ukrainians, i would be in federal prison.

i will give you an example. these trips are being financed by u.s. citizens, in many cases the citizens have put ukrainian refugees in their cars and driven them up to border officials. i absolutely believe we should do everything we can to help people flaying unspeakable violence, including the ukrainians. i don't think there is anything wrong. it had i done the same thing or would i do the same thing for a haitian migrant, put them in a car and drove up to the border, i would be put in prison for smuggling. even at double standard where those helping white migrants are given unfettered access to the ports of entry, are given -- are processed at a clip of 1000 a day, whereas those of us trying to organize on behalf of black and brown migrants are persecuted for the same activity. it is hurtful, honestly. it is astounding to see it play out like this. amy: erika pinheiro an immigration attorney, and the

policy and litigation director at al otro lado, a binational nonprofit helping immigrants on both sides of the u.s.-mexico border. speaking to us from tijuana. next up, in one week, texas plans to execute melissa lucio. we speed to the innocence project lawyer who is fighting to save her life. stay with us. ♪♪ [music break]

amy: "soledad y el mar" by natalia lafourcade. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman with juan gonzalez. one week from today, texas plans to execute melissa lucio for the death of her daughter despite widespread concern she is innocent. a bi-partisan group of over 100 texas lawmakers is among those calling to spare lucio's life, led in part by republican state representative jeff leach, who visited lucio on death row and hosted a hearing on her case.

>> what you're going to hear from my colleagues today is a sustained by detailed and very important outline of the problems that we see in that we believe you will see, the problems we believe are clearly evident with melissa lucio's case, we as a conservative, republican myself who has long been a supporter of the death penalty in the most heinous cases, i have never seen a more troubling case than the case of melissa lucio. the six of us in conjunction with our house colleagues and hopefully many of you will join in the days ahead are asking for the board of pardons and parole to spare her life. amy: melissa lucio is a mother of 14 children. she said she was wrongfully convicted of killing her two-year-old daughter mariah after a tragic accident in 2007. police blamed lucio for mariah's death after she called them to say the girl was unresponsive two days after falling down a

flight of stairs. lucio's lawyers say she faced a lifetime of abuse, was pressured to make a false confession, and did not get a fair trial. attorneys with the innocence project have asked the texas board of pardons and paroles and texas court of criminal appeals to halt her execution in order to review new evidence that could prove lucio's innocence. five of lucio's trial jurors now oppose her execution. this is juror johnny galvan speaking via his daughter. >> the idea that my decision to take another person's life was not based on complete and accurate information in a fair trial is horrifying. amy: lucio would be the first latina woman executed by texas. she spoke to the spanish-language news outlet on texas death row earlier this month. >> i am scared.

i am scared for my children. i am scared that nobody is going to be there to support them if this execution goes through. i worry for them, but i know right now theres many people who are supporting them that have encouraged them. and many of my friends have said to me, if this execution does go through, they will be there for my children. and i am very grateful for that. amy: lucio's children have long claimed she was innocent and are calling for her release. now some say they are starting to prepare for the worst. this is lucio's eldest son john. >> i want to say -- save my

mom. i don't want to see my mom die. if i have to see her -- i want to see her for her last breath. amy: for more, we're joined by vanessa potkin, director of special litigation at the innocence project and one of melissa lucio's attorneys. welcome to democracy now! it is great to have you with us. can you lay out the new evidence that could prove her innocence. --lucio's innocence? >> thank you for having me. it is quite incredible that here we are seven days away from melissa lucio's schedule execution and despite this groundswell of support that you mentioned earlier, there is nothing as we sit here today that stands in the way this execution going forward. the innocence project joined the legal team at the end of january ask her -- after her execution date was set.

we were so disturbed by the fact her conviction rests on faulty scientific evidence. we recognize the urgency that an innocent woman was headed to be put to death. after the trial, the state prison said evidence from a medical exam that the injuries to mariah -- the two-year-old child -- had not come from intentional abuse and had to have happened within 24 hours of when her child died. that testimony completely undermined ms. lucio's defense of what she's been saying all along that mariah fell down the stairs and increasingly started to get lethargic and sleepy and then the family was increasingly concerned and ultimately she went unresponsive. that testimony that was presented at her trial was absolutely false. in fact, a review of the medical

evidence and the autopsy results showed that all of the injuries that mariah and were completely consistent with an accidental fall. juan: vanessa, coululd you talk about her confession, why this was a false confession and how it may have occurred? >> absolutely. police rushed to judgment as soon paramedics responded to the scene. they started to make judgments about miss lucio and how she was resenting. ms. lucio was a victim of sexual abuse as a child and domestic abuse throughout her life. wish you presented was directly related to ptsd. not only did she endure these experiences, but they ended up

being used against her when she is enduring the most unimaginable thing, her daughter being unresponsive and dying. within two hours of her daughter's death, police had hurt in an interrogation room, they started berating her, telling her she had to have done this, she must have been responsible for her child's death, showing her pictures of her daughter, threatening her saying she was going to go to her -- was not going to go to her daughter's funeral and unless she told them what they needed to hear. they told her -- the clear implication was this interrogation was not going to stop until you tell us what we want to hear. she endure that type of aggressive, coercive, new potical question for over -- manipulative question for over five years. it was used against her as confession. statements have been reviewed by

the world's leading eert on false confessions as suggestibility and also a certified forensic is decatur who -- investigator who trades law enforcement officers on how to conduct interrogations. both found the statement to be completely unreliable and just to ramirez -- regurgitation of what the officers were telling her throughout the interrogation. juan: you argue that mariah's death was declared a murder before the autopsy began. can you talk about how police officers may have influenced the coroner as well? >> absolutely. after the interrogation, the following day, mariah's autopsy was conducted at two officers who interrogated lucio were present during the autopsy.

the medical examiner went into the autopsy with the knowledge that ms. lucio confessed and police believe this was a homicide and this was -- and had taken responsibility. while child abuse is a diagnosis of exclusion, that is not what happen here. it was not that the medical examiner systematically looked at mariah's injuries and try to determine what work potential causes -- for example, mariah ever found using throughout her body and the medical examiner overlooked or ignored clear signs that mariah was experiencing what is called a coagulation disorder that happens after accidental head trauma quite frequently and causes profound bruising throughout the body. those indications were clear and present during the autopsy, but the medical examiner ignored it and said the bruising had to come from intentional abuse. yet a really bias and inadequate autopsy. we can't even call it a death

investigation because it wasn't an investigation, it was a procedure aimed at amassing evidence at a prosecution of ms. lucio at that point. amy: has significant is that -- i mean, you hardly have bipartisanship in this country today, but a bipartisan group of more than 80 members of the texas house of representatives, 20 state senators come have asked to grant her clemency, coming after hearing on which they called on the cameron county da to cancel her april 27 death date? he testified in the hearing if lucio does not get a stay, "i will do what i have to do and stop it." what does this all mean? >> right now that means nothing because he has not done anything and nobody else has done anything to stop this execution going forward. and if the da wanted to put a pause on the executions of the evidence can be fully litigated

in court, he could move for that state. the district attorney has the power to withdraw the execution, to move to withdrawal the execution. the district attorney has the power to agree to a stay, a pause of the execution to consider this new pace of innocence. the distct attorney can take action right now. this bipartisan support we have from over 100 members of the texas legislature, republicans, democrats -- it is unprecedented. you don't see bipartisan support, you don't see legislators stepping out to try to really make sure and execution does not go forward. had that speaks to the evidence of ms. lucio's innocence, the facthat you -- it does not matter what you think about the death penalty, people do not what is the innate innocent

person executed. over 100 state legislators feel there waa significant risk that that would happen if miss lucio's execution goes forward. juan: could you talk about some of the jurors, the five jurors who in the original trial will now have grave concerns about evidence that was withheld? >> the jurors feel they were misled, that they did not get the full picture. they are speaking out. i would encourage people who are watching to go to savemelis sa.org. there are people who want to show support, can contact governor abbott. there are two ways the execution can be stopped. one is the board of pardons and parole can recommend clemency. it will be up to governor abbott to make that determination. people without recommendation from the board, he could grant a

reprieve so the evidence of ms. lucio's innocence could be considered in the court and the board of criminal appeals can issue a stay so this doesn't go forward. right nowe are seven days away from her execution. nothing is in the way until somebody acts. amy: we will continue to follow this case. vanessa potkin, director of special litigation at the innocence project and one of melissa lucio's attorneys. that does it for our show. we end with some wonderful news, congratulations democracy now! to democracy now! producer tammy and her partner david on the birth of their son. welcome to the world, felix! democracy now! has an immediate opening for a news writer producer. visit democracynow.org/jobs to find out more and apply. democracy now! is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. e-mail your comments to outreach@democracynow.org or

mail them to democracy now! p.o. box 693 new york, new york 10013. [captioning made possible by democracy now!]

ñçñqñqñqñqññññ#ñ#ww ñ?ñ? (sophie fouron) how peaceful! majuli is not the image you have of india. it's not the overpopulated and chaotic india here. it's calm, peaceful, very green and somewhat sacred. the religion is still taught and practiced by hundreds of monks in the monasteries they call satras. it's on the northeast part of india, between bhutan, bangladesh and nepal. it's very, very far, and probably the most isolated island i've visited... and definitely the most threatened.