Muslim civil rights group joins jurors and daughter of victim in calling for cancellation of March 12 execution
The Alabama chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-AL), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today joined calls for Governor Kay Ivey to grant clemency to Charles Burton, a 75-year-old incarcaree, youth mentor and prison faith leader facing execution on March 12 for a murder he did not personally commit.
CAIR also reiterated its calls for Alabama to cease using the nitrogen gas for state executions, which has repeatedly resulted in botched and painful executions.
SEE: He wasn’t the triggerman, but Alabama sets execution for Charles Lee Burton in 1991 AutoZone murder
Last month, the Alabama Supreme Court authorized Burton’s execution for his role in a 1991 robbery during which another man shot and killed a store clerk. Burton is scheduled for execution despite the fact that he was not the one who killed the victim. The actual shooter was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. The victim’s daughter and former jurors have asked for clemency. Burton, 75, is in poor health and uses a wheelchair.
While in state custody, Burton changed his life, converting to Islam, devoting his time to mentoring younger incarcerees, and advocating for religious equality for all incarcarees. Granting Burton clemency would pose no threat to public safety.
[NOTE: Last year, CAIR-AL called on the State of Alabama to drop the use of nitrogen gas as an execution method after incarcaree Anthony Boyd was reportedly conscious and visibly suffering for as long as 15 minutes.]
In a statement, CAIR-AL Staff Attorney Britton O’Shields said:
“We join other civil rights groups, the daughter of the victim, and the jurors who oversaw Mr. Charles Burton’s case in calling on the State of Alabama to grant him clemency.
“Although Mr. Burton was involved in an armed robbery in 1991, he did not personally harm anyone and he has paid dearly for his crime spending the last 35 years of his life behind bars. Mr. Burton poses no threat to public safety and serves as a mentor to others at his facility.
“Whereas Mr. Burton’s transformation and commitment to change serve as an example of how people can change their lives for the better, Mr. Burton’s potential execution reminds us of the pervasive and systemic failures that prevent true restorative justice. Mr. Burton’s sentence should, at the least, be commuted to a life sentence.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | TikTok | Website|YouTube
Do you like reading CAIR press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.
You are receiving this email due to your interest selection from commercial media databases. If you would like to join CAIR’s media list, please sign up here: https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters — For more information, email: info@cair.com, CC ihooper@cair.com
END
CONTACT: A. Britton O’Shields, Staff Attorney – Alabama Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Alabama), aoshields@cair.com, 205-206-6399, 205-616-0733; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com