The US Supreme Court on Friday blocked a request from the presidential administration, Donald Trump, to resume federal executions of four people convicted of murder, Fox News reported.

Executions were due to begin next week.

The judges upheld the decision of the trial court after the prisoners stated that lethal injections violate federal law.

Judge Tanya Chutkan imposed a temporary ban on executions, claiming that they were contrary to federal law.

In July, US Attorney General William Barr said the federal government would resume federal executions after a 16-year hiatus: the execution will be carried out by lethal injection of pentobarbital.

“The government had scheduled the execution of Danny Lee, who was convicted of killing a family of three -- including an 8-year-old -- on Monday. Wesley Ira Purkey had been scheduled to be put to death Dec. 13 for the murder and dismemberment of a 16-year-old girl and the slaying of an 80-year-old woman who suffered from polio,” the source noted.