March 3, 1999
Web posted at: 3:57 a.m. EST (0857 GMT)

THE HAGUE, the Netherlands (CNN) -- The World Court said on Wednesday it had written to the United States urging it to halt the execution of a German-born convicted killer while judges considered a complaint brought by Germany.

Germany petitioned the United Nations' highest court on Tuesday, arguing U.S. justice authorities had committed procedural errors in the case against Walter LaGrand, in violation of an international treaty on consular relations.

But hours later, Arizona Gov. Jane Hull cleared the way for LaGrand's execution as planned later on Wednesday.

LaGrand was scheduled to die in the gas chamber of an Arizona prison at 3 p.m. local time (2200 GMT).

Germany's ambassador to the United States said Wednesday he saw no chance of stopping the execution.

Juergen Chrobog, Bonn's ambassador to Washington, told German television that Hull had told him the execution would take place as scheduled because it was in the "interest of the victims."

Asked if there was any chance to stop the execution, Chrobog said: "No, and that's disappointing.

"Because of domestic political reasons the state of Arizona has a different view of the legal situation than the German government," he added.

He said the governor had rejected the appeal because the death penalty in Arizona "is very popular."

Ignoring a plea from a state clemency panel to issue a 60-day stay, Hull said on Tuesday the execution of Walter LaGrand, 37, who was convicted along with his brother, Karl, in the 1982 stabbing murder of a bank branch manager, would proceed as planned on Wednesday in the gas chamber.

Karl LaGrand, 36, was executed in Arizona last week by lethal injection despite pleas by high-level German officials.

The LaGrands were born in Germany but came to the United States when they were children. The case has become a cause celebre in Germany, which has no death penalty.

Reuters contributed to this report.