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Troy Davis’ case has attracted international attention and an online protest that has accumulated nearly one million signatures because of doubts expressed in some quarters over whether he killed police officer Mark MacPhail in 1989.

Davis’ best hope of avoiding execution, set for 7 p.m. local time on Wednesday, lay with the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles but on Tuesday it denied him clemency following a one-day hearing.

“Troy is so insistent of his innocence that he is willing to take a polygraph. I think it’s a bit of a risky strategy. Polygraph tests are not the most solid type of evidence,” said Laura Moye, a spokeswoman for Amnesty.

The legal procedure for getting permission for a polygraph test would likely involve the district attorney of Chatham County, where the crime was committed, or the state paroles board, she said.

“There are a number of legal filings at a number of different courts that they (his lawyers) are trying to see what they might be able to do to try and stop this execution,” Moye said.

Davis was convicted of murdering police officer Mark MacPhail outside a Burger King restaurant, shooting him twice as he went to rescue a homeless man who was being beaten. MacPhail’s family say Davis is guilty and should be executed.

Since his conviction, seven of nine witnesses have changed or recanted their testimony, some have said they were coerced by police to testify against Davis and some say another man committed the crime.

No physical evidence linked Davis to the crime.

Amnesty and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People plan a protest outside Georgia’s Diagnostic and Classification Prison later on Wednesday.

(Writing by Matthew Bigg; Editing by Jerry Norton)

We’ve just received terrible news: the State of Georgia has set Troy Davis’s execution date for midnight on September 21, just two weeks from today.

This is our justice system at its very worst, and we are alive to witness it. There is just too much doubt.

Consider the situation: Seven out of nine witnesses have recanted their statements; several more have come forward to identify one of the two remaining witnesses as the actual killer; and, earlier this summer, the judge in his final hearing labeled the case against troy as “not ironclad.” Nonetheless, the state of Georgia is set to execute Troy anyway.

Time is running out, and this is truly Troy’s last chance for life.

But through the frustration and the tears, there is one thing to remain focused on: We are now Troy Davis’ last hope. And I know we won’t let him down.

There are three steps you can take to help Troy:

1. Send a message of support to Troy as he fights for justice on what may be the final days of his life.

http://action.naacp.org/LettersOfSupport

2. Sign the name wall, if you haven’t already. And if you have, send it to your friends and family. Each name means a more united front for justice:

http://action.naacp.org/Name-Wall

3. Make sure everyone knows about this injustice. Spread the word on Facebook andTwitter (hashtag #TooMuchDoubt) so that Troy Davis’ story can be heard. We still have a chance to save his life, but only if people are willing to speak out against injustice.

Today, the State of Georgia has declared their intention to execute a man even though the majority of the people who put him on the row now say he is innocent many implicate one of the other witnesses as the actual killer. Now that a date has been set, we cannot relent. We must redouble our efforts. Thank you for your help.

http://www.naacp.org/content/main