Guerrero/National/International: CNDH and IACHR Ayotzinapa Reports

Ayotzinapa at Tlachinollan anniversary(@SIPAZ)

On November 27th, three days before the end of the six-year term of office of Enrique Peña Nieto, the president of the National Commission of Human Rights (CNDH in its Spanish acronym), Luis Raul Gonzalez Perez, presented recommendation 15VG/2018 on the events that took place in September 2014, in Iguala, Guerrero, that caused the forced disappearance of 43 students from the Normal Rural School of Ayotzinapa, the death of six people and 42 more wounded. He considered it as a “point of departure and a clear guide to what remains to be done” so that the next government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will get truth and justice in the case.

At a press conference, he said that, “what happened in Iguala should not be seen as an isolated case, but as a reflection of the situation that covers several regions of the country, and in which the possibility of generating an episode of similar dimensions and characteristics is a latent risk.”

He stressed that “a crime of the dimensions that happened in Iguala could only occur because of the penetration of organized crime in government structures”, while “various authorities, at federal, local and municipal levels, knew that things were rotten and contaminated, but nobody did anything. This would have prevented an outcome like the one that happened.”

He indicated that the investigation showed “that the authorities violated the right to the truth of the victims and of society when formulating or disseminating biased statements or partial or false information, which disorientated, confused and generated uncertainty in public opinion, causing the victims to be victimized again.”

On another note, two years after the Special Follow-up Mechanism was installed, this body of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) presented its final work report, in which it analyzes the main anomalies, deficiencies and omissions detected in the investigation conducted by the Mexican government. It concludes that “despite all the proceedings contained in a dossier of more than 618 volumes, the investigations continue fragmented, and require a comprehensive analysis (…) many of the proceedings seem to be incomplete, are discarded or fail to be procedurally driven.” The IACHR also expressed its concern at the fact that “there is still no change in the official narrative regarding the line of investigation of the Cocula landfill, despite what has been indicated by this Commission, by the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (IGIE), the Office of the High Commissioner of the United Nations for Human Rights (UNHCHR) and the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (AFAT).” It urged the Mexican State “to redouble the efforts to determine the whereabouts of the student teachers, to know the truth of what happened on the night of September 26th and 27th, 2014, to provide comprehensive assistance to families and to ensure that these atrocious events do happen again”.

For more information in Spanish:

RECOMENDACIÓN No. 15VG/2018 « Caso Iguala » (CNDH, 28 de noviembre de 2018)

Toca a AMLO enderezar investigación por caso Ayotzinapa: CNDH al emitir recomendación a Peña (Proceso, 28 de noviembre de 2018)

La CNDH revive “versión histórica” de la PGR en caso Iguala: mínimo 19 personas calcinadas en Cocula (Proceso, 28 de noviembre de 2018)

La CNDH señala que autoridades violaron el derecho a la verdad en el caso Iguala (ADN Politico, 28 de noviembre de 2018)

Informe Final: Mecanismo de Seguimiento al Asunto Ayotzinapa (CIDH, 25 de noviembre de 2018)

Profundizar investigación a militares y policías por caso Ayotzinapa, recomienda CIDH (Informe) (Aristegui Noticias, 28 de noviembre de 2018)

Sin identificar, 19 calcinados en basurero de Cocula: CNDH (La Jornada, 29 de noviembre de 2018)

Caso Ayotzinapa: la CIDH detecta más indicios de federales y militares en ataque a normalistas⁩ (Animal Político, 29 de noviembre de 2018)

Caso Ayotzinapa aún incompleto y sin detención de involucrados: CIDH (Vanguardia, 29 de noviembre de 2018)

Incompleta y fragmentada la “versión histórica” del caso Ayotzinapa; CIDH pide desecharla (Proceso, 29 de noviembre de 2018)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Guerrero/National: Ayotzinapa, Four Years On…  (October 1st, 2018)

Guerrero/National: Incoming Government Confirms Creation of Truth Commission for Ayotzinapa Case (Aug. 13th, 12018)

Guerrero/National: Obstruction in Formation of Truth Commission in Ayotzinapa Case Denounced (Aug. 8th, 2018)Guerrero: Classmates of Ayotzinapa 43 Graduate

Guerrero: Classmates of Ayotzinapa 43 Graduate (Aug. 2nd, 2018)

Guerrero/National: Federal Court Orders Creation Truth Commission to Reopen Investigation of Ayotzinapa Case (July 12th, 2018)

Guerrero/Nacional : CNDH informa que se tiene a un preso inocente por el caso Ayotzinapa (22 de junio de 2018)

Guerrero/Nacional/Internacional : Llamados a redigirir investigación en el caso Ayotzinapa (14 de junio de 2018)

 

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Chiapas: Voice of Amate Supporter Moved to High Security Prison

Pilgrimage for the release of prisoners, 2016 (@SIPAZ)

On November 15th, Alejandro Diaz Santiz, a supporter of The Voice of Amate group and adherent of the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, was transferred from the San Cristobal de Las Casas jail to the federal maximum security prison located in Villa Comaltitlan.

A prisoner for 19 years for the crime of homicide, this transfer is because he has been demanding his release and better care in San Cristobal prison, according to his former fellow prisoner, Alberto Patishtan Gomez, who was pardoned in 2013 by President Enrique Peña Nieto. He affirmed in a press conference that “We did not expect this to be done to compañero Alejandro, because just in December he had been returned after almost two years of punishment [in the same place], because he has always fought for his freedom and rights, and for denouncing mistreatment in the prison.” Patishtan Gomez demanded the dismissal of Candelaria Jimenez, currently director of the San Cristobal prison, “because not only has Alejandro been treated badly, he has done the same to others; the prisoners do not denounce for fear of transfers.”

For more information in Spanish:

Los Solidarios de la Voz del Amate exigen el regreso de Alejandro Díaz Santis al CERSS número 5 (Solidarios de la Voz del Amate, 16 de noviembre de 2018)

Previo a su salida, Velasco Coello nuevamente encarcela a indígena tsotsil, en penal de máxima seguridad (Radio Pozol, 16 de noviembre de 2018)

Traslado arbitrario de nuestro compañero Alejandro Díaz Santis (Grupo de Trabajo No estamos Todos, 15 de noviembre de 2018)

Chiapas: trasladan a activista a penal de máxima seguridad (La Jornada, 15 de noviembre de 2018)

Denuncian malos tratos en el penal de San Cristóbal y traslao de presos (Gaby Coutiño – Periodistmo en libertad, 15 de noviembre de 2018)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas : Roberto Paciencia Cruz, ex injustamente preso llama a la solidaridad con Alejandro Díaz Santíz (September 14th, 2017)

Chiapas: Alejandro Diaz Santiz Reiterates His Demand for Freedom (September 12th, 2016)

Chiapas: Alejandro Diaz Santiz Reports Mistreatment of Prisoners (June 8th, 2016)

Chiapas: Alejandro Diaz Santiz Fasts to Mark 17 Years in Prison (May 14th, 2016)

Chiapas: Day of Action for the Liberation of Alejandro Diaz Santiz and Political Prisoners (April 23rd, 2016)

Chiapas: Calls for release of Alejandro Diaz Santiz (March 19th, 2016)

Chiapas: Alejandro Díaz Sántiz and 386 other prisoners transferred to high-security prison (October 8th, 2015)

Oaxaca: 22 Members of Sol Rojo (Red Sun) Released

Press conference of the Coordination for the Release of Criminalized Defenders in Oaxaca (@Consorcio)

In a statement published on November 6th, the Coordination for the Release of Criminalized Defenders of Oaxaca reported that “after more than three years of facing a judicial process with serious violations of due process, torture and incommunicado detention, 22 members of the organization Corriente del Pueblo Sol Rojo [Current of the Red Sun People] were freed from criminal case 30/2015 in which they were accused of terrorism and carrying a weapon (molotov cocktail). This freedom was given in resolution of the incident promoted in August by the lawyer and defender Ernesto Sernas, rejecting a series of tests used by the Attorney General of the Republic’s office. It should be recalled that these people were arbitrarily arrested on June 7th, 2015 in retaliation for their participation in a peaceful demonstration called by Section 22 of the Oaxacan teachers in the context of the elections on the same day. Their trial was at all times plagued by serious irregularities; also the members of Sol Rojo suffered torture during their detention, as well as during transfers and arrivals in prisons. This torture has left serious consequences on physical and emotional levels.”

The Coordination stressed that with this decision – in which it was observed “action on political direction on the part of the Attorney General of the Republic, when imputing crimes that they never committed in coordination with federal and state police bodies” is evidenced once again the “policy of criminalization” of Enrique Peña Nieto against human rights defenders, the “serious pattern of criminalization in Oaxaca” and the urgency that all these serious violations be punished promptly and in accordance with the law.

It also demanded the presentation of the defender Ernesto Sernas who is missing, since last May 10th for reasons that they believe have to do with his defense work in favor of the organization Sol Rojo, in the context that so far “there has been no progress in the investigations to find his whereabouts.”

It reaffirmed its position in favor of the liberation of all the defenders of Oaxaca who remain unjustly in prison as “reprisal” for their legitimate defense work. It also urged the authorities to act against the high risk in which members of Sol Rojo remain who have suffered serious and permanent attacks.

For more information in Spanish:

Defensores de DH integrantes de la organización Sol Rojo en libertad mediante sentencia absolutoria, luego de tres años de proceso judicial (Coordinación para la Libertad de Personas Defensoras Criminalizadas en Oaxaca, 6 de noviembre de 2018)

22 presos políticos de Sol Rojo fueron puestos en libertad (Libertad Oaxaca, 6 de noviembre de 2018)

Dejan en libertad a 22 presos políticos en Oaxaca (Siete Días Oaxaca, 6 de noviembre de 2018)

Anuncian la liberación de 22 activistas de Oaxaca presos por delitos federales (Despertar de Oaxaca, 7 de noviembre de 2018)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Guerrero / National: Nestora Salgado announces campaign for the freedom of political prisoners  (September 16th, 2018)

Oaxaca : Exigen atención para 33 personas defensoras de derechos humanos bajo procesos judiciales (3 de agosto de 2018)

International/National: Mexico’s 2018 Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland (@Animal Político)

On November 7th, as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council, representatives from 108 countries made questions and recommendations on the subject to Mexico at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The last review had been carried out in 2013.

The Mexican government delegation acknowledged that “considerable challenges” persist in the protection of human rights defenders and journalists, torture, forced disappearance, femicidal and anti-migrant violence, as well as impunity in the criminal justice system.

Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs, Miguel Ruiz Cabañas, leader of the Mexican delegation for this UPR, said that “Mexico remains a country open to international scrutiny, and assured that the State will continue to work with civil society to address the recommendations made in this Review.” The Human Rights Council of the UN, based on this, will make recommendations for the Mexican State, which must answer those it will accept and those it will not for March 2019. It should be noted that by then the government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) will be in office.

At the end of the session ColectivoEPUmx said that the participation of the States confirmed that the human rights crisis in Mexico persists. It summarized what was stated as follows: “the main issue of concern was the aggressions against and murders of human rights defenders and journalists and the lack of investigation and punishment of the perpetrators. Multiple observations were also made about the structural and institutional violence against women. The need to attack the high levels of violence, corruption and impunity was reiterated, considering that they are accurate and verifiable indicators in the fulfillment of responsibilities regarding the human rights of a State. In this logic, the need for a #FiscaliaQueSirva was reiterated and many concerns of the #SeguridadSinGuerra collective were repeated, such as the revision of the Internal Security Law.”

In view of the above, ColectivoEPU.mx called on the elected federal government to hold a public meeting once these recommendations have been issued and to strengthen the international cooperation for its implementation as well as “generating mechanisms that allow the implementation of the results of this exercise of the UPR and mechanisms to eradicate impunity.”

For more information in Spanish:

COMUNICADO | Consejo de Derechos Humanos de la ONU confirma crisis de DDHH en México (#ColectivoEPUmx, 7 de noviembre de 2018)

En EPU solicitan a México respuestas eficaces para proteger a periodistas y activistas (Aristegui Noticias, 7 de noviembre de 2018)

Persiste violencia estructural contra mujeres e impunidad: EPUmx (La Jornada, 7 de noviembre de 2018)

EPU 2018: México reconoce ante el mundo su deuda en Derechos Humanos; naciones señalan retos y deficiencias (Animal Político, 7 de noviembre de 2018)

EPU2018: Llegó el momento, gobierno de EPN se somete a su examen final sobre Derechos Humanos (Animal Político, 6 de noviembre de 2018)

For more information from SIPAZ:

National: 245 NGO publicly present the “Joint Report for the Third Universal Periodic Review of Mexico”  (September 20th, 2018)

2018: México será examinado por el Consejo de Derechos Humanos de la ONU en el tercer ciclo del Examen Periódico Universal (EPU) (4 de abril de 2018)

National: 176 recommendations for Mexico during the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)  (November 13th, 2013)

Nacional: informe de OSC sobre DH rumbo al segundo Examen Periódico Universal (EPU) en octubre (12 de julio de 2013)

Chiapas: Tortured Campesino Freed; Frayba Denounces Impunity for Perpetrators

On November 5th, after spending three years in Villafores jail, Sergio Alberto Gonzalez Castro, who had reported torture and had been sentenced to six years in jail in Chiapas for allegedly stealing livestock from singer Julion Alvarez’s ranch, was released. The judge who heard the case issued his sentence on the basis of “not having been found criminally responsible for the crime of aggravated cattle theft” and acknowledging that “the medical and psychological studies carried out on Sergio Alberto Gonzalez Castro confirm (…) that the aforementioned defendant was tortured in a cruel and inhuman way to force him to sign the ministerial declaration.”

The Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Center for Human Rights (CDHFBC in its Spanish acronym, also known as Frayba) filed a complaint with the Office of the Prosecutor Against Torture (investigation file 012/2018) “on June 20th, 2018, requesting that those responsible for the torture, who to this day remain in impunity, be investigated and punished: Jose Manuel Velasco Solis, Alberto Lopez de Leon and Alberto Carmona Leon, policemen who, without having an arrest warrant, illegally detained and tortured Sergio Alberto in order to obtain a self-incriminating statement and name others; the public prosecutor Javier Camacho Nafate who witnessed the torture and took the self-incriminating statement; and others who are responsible.”

The CDHFBC celebrated the release of Gonzalez Castro but stressed that following the complaint filed by him and his family, they have been at risk: “They have received threats, as well as surveillance and intimidation from different players with political influence in the state and in the region.”

For this reason, it requested the authorities of the Mexican State “to provide effective protection and security measures for Sergio Alberto and his family”; and that “those responsible for this serious violation of human rights be punished and a full reparation of the damage be made.”

For more information in Spanish:

Perpetradores de la Tortura a Sergio Alberto González no han sido sancionados (CDHFBC, 10 de octubre de 2018)

Logra libertad luego de tres años de injusto encierro en Villaflores (Ultimatum, 10 de octubre de 2018)

Liberan a campesino acusado de robar ganado a Julión Álvarez (Proceso, 9 de octubre de 2018)

Liberan a Sergio González, acusado de robarle ganado a Julión Álvarez (Chiapas Paralelo, 6 de octubre de 2018)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas: Julión Alvarez Threatens to Sue Media and Frayba; Chiapas Paralelo Denounces “Erosion of Freedom of Expression” (01/10/2018)

National/International: Civil Organizations Force Foreign Affairs to Publish Report of UN Sub-committee for the Prevention of Torture (01/05/2018)

National: Senate Approves Law against Torture (04/05/2017)

National/International: “Torture and Mistreatment Continue to Be Widespread in Mexico”, Juan E. Mendez (08/03/2017)

Guerrero: national and international organizations visit prisoners of the CECOP and the CRAC-PC

Press Conference at the Las Cruces prison (@La Jornada de Guerreo)

On October 5, members of Services and consultancies for peace (Serapaz), in representation of the Space of Civil Society Organizations for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists (Espacio OSC), and the International Service for Peace (SIPAZ) visited 16 of the 18 prisoners of the Council of Ejidos and Communities Opposed to the La Parota Dam (Cecop) and the Regional Coordinator of Community Authorities – Community Police (CRAC PC), held in the prison of Las Cruces, in Acapulco, since January 7. They were accompanied by the Tlachinollan Human Rights Center, which has assumed the defense of said prisoners.

At a press conference outside the prison after the visit, Alberto Solís Castro, director of Serapaz stated that the struggle that has led the Cecop has been emblematic for the country: “they have resisted for more than 12 years the onslaught of different governments and faced unfair situations and repressions. What we are seeing is a new effort to criminalize them, to stop them and attack them, because they fight for the land, because they oppose a dam megaproject that would end the environment and a good part of community life in the region”. He reported that they will issue a recommendation to the state government to release the prisoners and stressed that at least eight cases of torture during detention were documented. The complaints on those case have not been addressed, despite visits by representatives of state and national human rights organizations. He announced that next week they will report this situation to the person that will be in charge of the Institute of Indigenous Peoples, Adelfo Regino; to the next head of the Welfare Ministry, as well as to Senators Félix Salgado Macedonio and Nestora Salgado García.

Tommy Van Straten, member of Sipaz, indicated that as an international organization with a presence in Guerrero since 2005, they are concerned about the mistreatment of the detainees. He said that in this visit they documented the cases of torture inside the jail and the differential treatment the prisonners have received, including the isolation of the rest of the prison population. He also highlighted the situation and traumas of the prisoners’ relatives.

For his part, Rogelio Téliz García, Tlachinollan’s lawyer, said that the defense process is progressing, that there will be a new hearing on October 26 where the prisonners are expected to be released, such as a group of eight community members already was. He pointed out that there are 50 arrest warrants against the same number of community members in Cacahuatepec who, he said, are being persecuted by the government. He said that this happens despite the fact that the Crac-PC is protected by Law 701.

For more information (in Spanish):

Visitan ONG a los presos del Cecop; documentan 8 casos de tortura (El Sur, 5 de octubre de 2018)

Documentan ONG 8 casos de tortura a presos del Cecop en Acapulco (Quadartín, 5 de octubre de 2018)
Visitan activistas a los presos del Cecop en la cárcel de Las Cruces (El Sur, 6 de octubre de 2018)

Visita una ONG internacional a miembros del Cecop y de la Crac (La Jornada de Guerrero, 6 de octubre de 2018)

Visita SIPAZ a los presos del Cecop y la CRAC PC (La Plaza, 6 de octubre de 2018)

For more information from SIPAZ :

Guerrero: 50 arrest warrants against members of CECOP (September 24, 2018)

Guerrero: 9 of the 25 detainees for a confrontation in La Concepción in January are released September 17, 2018

Guerrero: Judge Orders Guarantees for Rights to Water, Health and Dignified Treatment for 25 CECOP Prisoners April 24, 2018

Guerrero: Extrajudicial Executions and Arrests of Community Police and Members of CECOP January 22, 2018

Guerrero/National: Ayotzinapa, Four Years On…

Fourth anniversary of Ayotzinapa (@Tlachinollan)

On September 26th, four years after the forced disappearance of 43 students from the Normal Rural School of Ayotzinapa in Iguala, Guerrero, in which six people – three of them student teachers – were also deprived of their lives and where dozens more were injured, thousands of citizens took to the streets in several cities of the Republic to demand justice in the case.

On the same day, the president-elect of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, met with relatives of the victims and promised to clarify what happened through the creation of a Truth Commission independently of the courts’ decision, through of a decree. He also agreed to request the assistance of the United Nations (UN) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

It should be remembered that in June a Mexican court ordered the creation of a Truth Commission to renew the investigation process but the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) has declared itself unable to do so. As part of the anniversary of the disappearance, the PGR reiterated that “all lines of investigation” have been addressed and stressed that in its efforts to satisfy the demands for justice, 1,447 people have testified on the case and 119 people are under criminal procedure, 69 of them for kidnapping.

On the fourth anniversary of the case, the first eight of the 69 involved in the disappearance of the student teachers were released, not for being not guilty, but for procedural irregularities committed by public servants of the PGR during their detention, several media reported. However, they will not necessarily leave prison as other cases are followed.

For more information in Spanish:

México: AMLO se compromete con familiares de víctimas de Ayotzinapa a esclarecer lo sucedido con los 43 estudiantes (BBC, 27 de septiembre de 2018)

Claves para entender cómo funcionará la comisión de la verdad de Ayotzinapa (ADN Política, 27 de septiembre de 2018)

Manifestaciones en varias ciudades del estado por los cuatro años de los hechos (La Jornada de Guerrero, 27 de septiembre de 2018)

Ocho implicados en el caso Ayotzinapa obtienen auto de libertad por fallas procesales (Proceso, 27 de septiembre de 2018)

Nueva comisión para el caso Ayotzinapa no investigará al Ejército: Encinas (Proceso, 26 de septiembre de 2018)

Ayotzinapa: en el corazón de la patria (CDH Tlachinollan, 26 de septiembre de 2018)

Ayotzinapa: la esperanza está en la verdad (Proceso, artículo de Mario Patrón director del Centro Agustín PRODH, 26 de septiembre de 2018)

El caso Ayotzinapa: Cuatro años de dolor e incertidumbre (NY Times, 26 de septiembre de 2018)

Con marchas, misa y un minuto de silencio ciudadanos exigen justicia a 4 años de Ayotzinapa (Animal Político, 26 de septiembre de 2018)

119 detenidos y 1147 personas han declarado por caso Ayotzinapa: PGR (Aristegui Noticias, 26 de septiembre de 2018)

AMLO frente a Ayotzinapa (Proceso, 26 de septiembre de 2018)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Guerrero/National: Incoming Government Confirms Creation of Truth Commission for Ayotzinapa Case (Aug. 13th, 12018)

Guerrero/National: Obstruction in Formation of Truth Commission in Ayotzinapa Case Denounced (Aug. 8th, 2018)Guerrero: Classmates of Ayotzinapa 43 Graduate

Guerrero: Classmates of Ayotzinapa 43 Graduate (Aug. 2nd, 2018)

Guerrero/National: Federal Court Orders Creation Truth Commission to Reopen Investigation of Ayotzinapa Case (July 12th, 2018)