'Great is the Truth and it will Prevail' Milestone in death row case today

Mr Richey's case will be heard in the 6th Circuit Federal Court of Appeal in Cincinnati today (Wednesday), and campaigners hope that this may mark the start of a process leading to the overturning of Mr Richey's conviction and death sentence.

Mr Richey, who has a Scottish mother and grew up in Edinburgh, was convicted of arson and murder in the state of Ohio in 1986 and sentenced to death on 27 January 1987.

He has been on death row since then, but has always protested his innocence. Evidence has since emerged casting serious doubt on Mr Richey's guilt.

Campaigners say that there was clear evidence of Mr Richey's innocence, and that the courts had been prevented from considering this evidence purely because of legal technicalities.

Mr Carmichael and Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen visited Mr Richey three years ago.

Today the MP said: "For the past 20 years Kenny Richey has been locked up in his cell on death row for 23 out of 24 hours a day.

"It is difficult to know what the Ohio authorities hope to achieve by keeping him there. I hope that 2007 will be the year that they finally see sense and grant Kenny the justice that he has been denied for so long."

Ms Allen added: "This week sees the ghastly milestone of 20 years on death row for Kenny but also a fresh opportunity to finally clear his name.

"Kenny's case is a case of shoddy justice - a shoddy trial followed by 20 years of shoddy justice that has effectively trapped Kenny on death row.

"As I said when I visited him three years ago, nobody should have to endure the living hell of death row. To make matters worse, we have recently become very concerned about Kenny's deteriorating health.

"It's time to end the shoddy justice that Kenny's suffered and this new hearing could mark a vital step that may yet lead to Kenny's release and return to Scotland."

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