Washington, D.C. — Today, in Ramirez v. Collier, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in favor of a Texas death row inmate who sought to have his longtime pastor pray with him and lay hands on him at the time of his lethal injection in the execution chamber. In response, Maggie Siddiqi, senior director of Religion and Faith at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Today’s ruling sends a clear message that the free exercise of religion must be for everyone, including those on death row. Religious freedom allows everyone to practice, or not practice, religion free from government interference. This ruling clarifies that death row inmates should be treated with dignity, even in the execution chamber, by receiving a reasonable accommodation for spiritual counseling in accordance with their religious practices.
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