Kenny Richey has always denied murder
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A Scottish politician has visited a Scot who has spent 17 years on death row in Ohio.
Alistair Carmichael, MP for Orkney and Shetland, said the prospect of Kenny Richey's execution would be "an affront to justice and humanity".
He argued that there were still unanswered questions about the safety of the conviction.
Richey, from Edinburgh, has always denied murder and is now awaiting the outcome of his latest appeal.
The 39-year-old, who grew up in the Scottish capital, was convicted in 1987 of an arson attack on an apartment block in Ohio which killed two-year-old Cynthia Collins.
The prosecution said that he started the fire out of jealousy in a bid to kill a former girlfriend, who was asleep with her new boyfriend in the apartment below the one that burned.
Richey refused to accept a plea-bargaining deal under which he would have escaped execution if he had confessed to killing the child.
Liberal Democrat Mr Carmichael was joined on his visit by Kate Allen, UK director of human rights group Amnesty International.
The organisation describes it as "one of the most compelling cases of apparent innocence human rights campaigners have ever seen".
Ms Allen, who has called for Richey to be given an opportunity to prove his innocence, said: "I wanted to ensure that Kenny realised that his plight is very much in our minds.
"Equally, I wanted to impress upon the state authorities our deep concerns, including that Kenny should get a proper chance to clear his name and to avoid what could be a tragic injustice."
She added: "Kenny has endured over 17 years on death row and Amnesty International has deep concerns about his case that go beyond our usual opposition to the death penalty."
After the meeting, Mr Carmichael said: "The experience of meeting Kenny Richey on death row is one which will remain with me for the rest of my life."
He said there were unanswered questions about the safety of the conviction.
"To carry out the death penalty in that situation would be an affront to justice and an affront to humanity."
The MP claimed that the UK Government liked to boast about its influence in America, and said it was imperative it started to use that influence.
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Kenny has endured over 17 years on death row and Amnesty International has deep concerns about his case that go beyond our usual opposition to the death penalty
