Mexico protests U.S. ruling on death row case

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico protested on Monday a U.S. Supreme Court ruling rejecting the reopening of a dual-murder case against a Mexican on death row.

The court rule last week that U.S. President George W. Bush exceeded his authority when he directed Texas to comply with a World Court ruling mandating the review of the cases of Jose Medellin and 50 other Mexicans in U.S. prisons awaiting execution.

Mexico's Foreign Ministry sent a diplomatic letter to the U.S. State Department expressing its unhappiness.

"Mexico is concerned with the decision taken last March 25 by the United States' highest court," the ministry said in a statement, adding it would do everything in its power to have the World Court's ruling upheld.

The Hague court in 2004 ordered the United States to review Medellin's case, and those of the other Mexican death row inmates, on the grounds that his Vienna Convention right to talk to consular officers after his arrest had been violated.

Bush in 2005 decided to comply with the World Court's ruling.

Medellin has been on death row since 1994.

(Reporting by Miguel Angel Gutierrez; editing by Mohammad Zargham)