Chiapas: Chilon Defenders Sentenced to Two Years Imprisonment

On May 3^rd, Cesar Hernandez Feliciano and Jose Luis Gutierrez Hernandez, Tseltals from the town of Chilon, were sentenced to two years in prison. In October 2020, they had been detained during a peaceful demonstration against the construction of a National Guard barracks in the community territory of San Sebastian Bachajon without having been previously consulted.

In a joint statement following the judicial decision, the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Center for Human Rights (Frayba), the Agustin Pro Human Rights Center (Centro Prodh) and the World Organization against Torture (WOT) regretted the decision of the judge considering that it “criminalizes the defense of land and territory to the detriment of the rights to autonomy and self-determination of native peoples”; this despite “the lack of solid evidence to prove the crime of rioting for which the Chiapas State Prosecutor’s Office has accused them since 2020.” More broadly, they called on the Chiapas state government “to stop the criminalization and prosecution of human rights and life defenders.”

For more information in Spanish:

Condenan a dos años de prisión a defensores tseltales en Chiapas (Desinformémonos, 5 de mayo de 2023)

Dictan sentencia condenatoria a mayas tseltales por defender su territorio de la militarización (Chiapas Paralelo, 4 de mayo de 2023)

Se dicta sentencia condenatoria en el proceso penal en contra de José Luis y César por defender su territorio de la militarización (Frayba, 3 de mayo de 2023)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas: Inicia juicio oral contra defensores organizados ante la militarización de su territorio (April 24, 2023)