Juan E. Méndez, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture (@UN)
On 9 March, Juan E. Méndez, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading Treatment, presented the report based on his visit to Mexico between April and May 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland. In his conclusions, he mentions that “torture and ill-treatment of the incarcerated after their arrest and prior to their presentation to the justice system are generalized phenomena in Mexico which take place within the context of impunity.” He added that there is evidence of the active participation of police and military forces, “but also tolerance, indifference, or complicity on the part of some doctors, public defenders, prosecutors, and judges.” He indicated furthermore that torture is used “to punish the arrested and to extract confessions or incriminating information.” He highlighted moreover that “the impunity of torture and other abuses is sufficient to lead to its repetition and exacerbation.”
For this reason, the Special Rapporteur recommended legislative reforms that would integrate international standards into domestic law, thus effectively preventing and punishing torture and other abuses, as well as to undertake the investigation of all denunciations that are presented, including “the tasks that remain in terms of the Dirty War.” He recommended also that the dimension of the phenomenon be publicly recognized, and that all the authorities receive strong public pressure insisting that all abuses will be seriously investigated and punished.
Following the presentation of this report, Jorge Lomónaco, Mexican representative before international organizations, affirmed that “we cannot agree with the view that torture is generalized in the country, because that is not the case in reality.” He added that what the Special Rapporteur claimed “does not reflect the enormous efforts that my country’s government has made to strengthen a culture of respect for human rights in the law and in practice.”
For more information (in Spanish):
Ver Informe completo (Juan E. Méndez, diciembre de 2014)
Generalizada, la tortura en México (Proceso, 7 de marzo de 2015)
“Todos los cuerpos policiales torturan en el país” (El País, 9 de marzo de 2015)
México: entre la tortura y la impunidad (Centro PRODH, Animal Político, 9 de marzo de 2015)
La tortura es generalizada en México: relator de ONU; eso es mentira, responde embajador (Animal Político, 9 de marzo de 2015)
México y ONU ahora chocan por informe sobre la tortura (Milenio, 10 de marzo de 2015)
For more information from SIPAZ (in English):
National: New Amnesty International report, “Out of Control: Torture and Other Abuses in Mexico” (15 September 2014)
Chiapas: Presentation of the Special Report: “Torture, mechanism of terror” (3 July 2014)
National: UN Special Rapporteur on torture ends official visit to Mexico (16 May 2014)
Chiapas: release of indigenous prisoners and denunciation of torture in the state (29 April 2014)
Chiapas: Torture and killing of youth the responsibility of municipal police from Acala, CDHFBC denounces (18 March 2014)
Chiapas: Torture and kidnapping of youth Hiber Audentino García Villafuerte (1 January, 2014)
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