Guerrero / National: Nestora Salgado announces campaign for the freedom of political prisoners

@Regeneración

On August 29, at a first press conference after tooking oath as a new federal senator for the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA), the ex-commander of Olinalá’s community police, Guerrero, Nestora Salgado, announced the start of a campaign for the freedom of all the political prisoners in the country. She declared that there are currently 500 of them in Guerrero, although the first thing that is required is to carry out a national diagnosis: “The intention is to make a mapping to integrate prisoners of conscience and social activists, as is the case of the Indigenous Dominga “N”, originally from Jalisco, who has been imprisoned for 15 years for various crimes. “

Having been imprisoned, it is not surprising that Salgado has stated that the fight for the freedom of political prisoners is the main axis of her legislative agenda: “We can not allow our comrades who fight for life to remain imprisoned.” “Justice in Mexico has been negotiated and for people who do not have money, they have no way to pay for it, but now that we have this voice it will sound stronger in the Senate in defense of them, we will make sure that it is taken into account”, she emphasized.

She was accompanied by inhabitants of San Pedro Tlanixco, municipality of Tenango del Valle, who demand the release of their family members, political prisoners for defending land and water, and by Professor Alberto Patishtan, from the El Bosque community in Chiapas, who was also Political prisoner and released through pardon in 2013.

Senator Salgado García announced that she is studying what initiatives could be promoted from the Upper House to help in this fight.

For more information (in Spanish) :

Trabajará Nestora Salgado para la liberación de 500 presos políticos (MX Político, 31 de agosto de 2018)

Nestora Salgado luchará por libertad de presos políticos (La Jornada, 30 de agosto de 2018)

Nestora Salgado inicia campaña para liberar a los presos políticos (La Jornada, 30 de agosto de 2018)

Nestora Salgado busca liberar a más de 500 presos políticos (Radio Fórmula, 30 de agosto de 2018)

Senadora Nestora Salgado inicia campaña por la libertad de presos políticos (Aristegui Noticias, 29 de agosto de 2018)

For more information from SIPAZ :

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

Nestora Salgado Launches Campaign to Demand Release of Political Prisoners April 7, 2016

Guerrero: Nestora Salgado Free March 22, 2016

Chiapas: Awarding of Jtatic Samuel Jcanan Lum Recognition

(@koman ilel)

On 21 January 2014, the jTatic Samuel, jCanan Lum Award was given to the Migrants House, the House of the Wandering jTatic Samuel Ruiz García of Pakal-na, based in Palenque, Chiapas; to Fray Tomás Gonzales Castillo, responsible for the “72” Migrant Home in Tenosique, Tabasco; and to the Ecumenical Group of Organic Agriculture belonging to Pablo L. Sidar, from Chicomuselo, Chiapas.

The nomination of the jCanan Lum (a term that in Tseltal signifies caretaker of the people and land) is a charge that Samuel Ruiz García, bishop of the San Cristóbal diocese, received in Amatenango del Valle from the Ch’ol, Tojolabal, Tseltal, Tsotsil, and Zoque people in 1999.  The award now recognizes work in favor of the people and Earth as taken on by individuals, groups, and peoples.

This year, the award committee was led by the bishop of Saltillo, Raúl Vera López, and by Professor Alberto Patishtán, who received this recognition from the bishop himself in 2010, while he was incarcerated.

For more information (in Spanish):

Entregan reconocimiento fundado por Samuel Ruiz a la casa de migrantes La 72 (La Jornada, 22 de enero de 2013)

Activistas de apoyo a migrantes y conservacionistas recibirán el Reconocimiento jTatik Samuel jCanan Lum (Chiapas Paralelo, 21 de enero de 2014)

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

Chiapas: Launch of call for 2014 jTatic Samuel Jcanan Lum (5 February 2013)

Chiapas: First anniversary of the death of bishop Samuel Ruiz García; third award of the Jtatik Samuel jCanan Lum recognition (2012) (8 February 2012)

Chiapas: presentation of the jTatic Samuel jCanan Lum Award during the assembly of the Believing People (7 March 2011)

Chiapas: Presentation of the jTatic Samuel jCanan Lum Award to the Coordination of Indigenous Social Organizations XI’NICH (25 February 2011)

Chiapas: celebration and presentation of 2011 jTatic Samuel jCanan Lum Award (31 January 2011)

Chiapas: visit to observe 2011 call for “jTatic Samuel jCanan Lum” Honor denied (30 July 2010)

Chiapas: After 13 years of unjust incarceration, freedom for Patishtán

Alberto Patishtán, photo @Marco Peláez, La Jornada

On 31 October, after 13 years of unjust imprisonment, Alberto Patishtán was released and celebrated his freedom with his family, friends, and comrades, after having received an official pardon from President Enrique Peña Nieto.  After receiving the document notifying him that he would benefit from this measure, the Tsotsil indigenous man left the clinic in which he found himself at the time.  Gabriela Patishtán Ruiz, Patishtán’s daughter, said that “the struggle which many different organizations and persons have carried out since his unjust arrest has borne fruit.”  Accompanied by his children and grandchildren, the professor in a press-conference declared that “They wanted to close off my light, make it rest–but what happened is that it was multiplied, though they wanted to cover it up.  My struggle illuminated.”

Following the release of the Tsotsil professor, the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Center for Human Rights released a press-bulletin expressing that the pardon is not sufficient justice for Patishtán.  Among other things, the document demands a public apology from the State and comprehensive reparations for the damages incurred by the Tsotsil professor and his family.  During the afternoon of the same day, there was held a protest in Mexico City to publicly recognize the innocence of Alberto Patishtán.

Patishtán had spent 13 years and four months imprisoned as part of a 60-year sentence after he was accused of participating in the killing of six police during an ambush which took place in El Bosque municipality, Chiapas, in 2000.

For more information (in Spanish):

Ordenan libertad inmediata de Alberto Patishtán (Proceso, 31 de octubre de 2013)

Salí a defender a mi pueblo y me mandaron a la cárcel: Patishtán (La Jornada, 31 de octubre de 2013)

Video: Fui encarcelado por defender a mi pueblo: Alberto Patishtan (Telesur)

Lucha de organizaciones por libertad de Patishtán dio frutos, asegura su hija (La Jornada, 30 de octubre de 2013)

Boletín Centro de derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de las Casas (31 de octubre de 2013)

Los riesgos en el indulto de Patishtán (Chiapas Paralelo, 1 de noviembre de 2013)

Blog de Alberto Patishtán

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

Legal initiative for Amnesty for Alberto Patishtán (4 October 2013)

Chiapas: Rejection of recognition of Patishtán’s innocence. “There is a look of denigration toward the indigenous sector,” says lawyer (4 October 2013)

Legal initiative for Amnesty for Alberto Patishtán

On Wednesday 18 September, there was presented in the Senate a legal initiative to grant amnesty to the indigenous prisoner Alberto Patishtán.  This proposal, advanced by PRD senators Angélica de la Peña and Zoe Robledo Aburto, calls for an “amnesty law for persons against whom has been exercised penal action with regard to the acts which took place in the Simojovel and El Bosque municipalities on 12 June 2000.”

The proposal for amnesty, unlike a pardon, implies that the State “nullify the charges and punitive sentence imposed on the incarcerated party, who has been persecuted, imprisoned, and accused.”  A pardon would not imply that the charges be declared null and void.According to claims made by PRD senators, there can be seen a grave violation of the human rights of Patishtán, given that the authorities of justice have not been able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the prisoner participated in the acts of which he has been accused and for which he has been condemned to 60 years’ imprisonment.  It should be recalled that on 18 September the judicial branch rejected the motion to recognize Patishtán’s innocence, 13 years into his sentence.

For more information (in Spanish):

Propone PRD en el Senado ley de amnistía a favor de Patishtán (Proceso, 18 de septiembre de 2013)

El PRD pide la amnistía para el indígena y activista Alberto Patishtán (Notimérica-Europa Press, 19 de septiembre de 2013)

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

Chiapas: Rejection of recognition of Patishtán’s innocence. “There is a look of denigration toward the indigenous sector,” says lawyer (4 October 2013)

National: Forum “justice for all” pronounces itself in favor of the release of Alberto Patishtán. Amnesty International joins the call

On 15 August, in Mexico City there was held the forum “Justice for all,” during which different civil organizations expressed their concern for the structure of the Mexican justice system, particularly in the case of Alberto Patishtán, a Tsotsil teacher from El Bosque, who has been incarcerated since 2000.  Participants called on the justices of the justices of the Primary Collegiate Tribunal of the Twentieth Circuit to announce Patishtán’s release during the 29 August session.  Patishtán’s judicial process was described as “full of irregularities” and based on false evidence.

Amnesty International (AI) joined the call, stressing that “the fact that a person could spend more than 12 years incarcerated as a victim of a judicial process plagued by obvious irregularities speaks to the lamentable state of the Mexican justice system.”  AI also indicated that it has “observed serious failures during the process, including irregularities and contradictions in witnesses’ testimony identifying Alberto Patishtán as responsible of the charges he is accused of.  Nonetheless, this testimony was taken at face value, even though the evidence which shows that Patishtán was in fact located elsewhere during the time of the was not taken into account.  The organization also showed that Patishtán’s defense failed to provide an adequate case, thus contributing even more to the violation of his right to a fair trial.”

For more information (in Spanish):

Increíble, Patishtán sigue preso y los culpables están libres (La Jornada, 16 de agosto de 2013)

Las autoridades mexicanas deben fallar de forma pronta y justa sobre el caso de Alberto Patishtán (Amnistía Internacional, 15 de agosto de 2013)

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

Chiapas: Global action to demand the release of Alberto Patishtán and justice for political prisoners (20 August 2013)

Chiapas: 9 prisoners in solidarity with the Voz del Amate released, but Patishtán will remain imprisoned (20 July 2013)

Chiapas: March in Cerss no. 5 of San Cristóbal de Las Casas for prisoner Rosario Méndez (5 March 2013)

Chiapas: New sentence of 25 years for Rosario Díaz Méndez (5 February 2013)

Chiapas: Pilgrimage by the Believing People for the release of professor Alberto Patishtan (23 April 2013)

Chiapas: Petition from the CDHFBC to release Alberto Patishtán (15 April 2013)

 

Chiapas: Global action to demand the release of Alberto Patishtán and justice for political prisoners

From the San Cristóbal de las Casas prison, professor Alberto Patishtán has called for global action on 21 August “to demonstrate against unjust incarceration of political prisoners, but also the common prisoners who [are incarcerated] for being indigenous and poor.  Justice in Mexico is bloodied by us.”

Alberto Patishtán, member of the Voz del Amate, an organization of prisoners who adhere to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandona Jungle, has spent 13 years imprisoned on the charge of having participated in a massacre of police in 2000.  Teachers from the first Collegiate Tribunal of the Twentieth Circuit in Tuxtla Gutiérrez are expected soon to review his case.  The action for 21 August will call for his release, as for that of Alejandro Díaz Santíz, Antonio Estrada Estrada, and Miguel Demeza Jiménez, prisoners who similarly adhere to the Sixth Declaration.

The call to global action for 21 August has been supported by the Abejas of Acteal, the Movement of the People of El Bosque (the municipality of Patishtan’s origin), and collectives associated with the Sixth Declaration, all of which agree that he is being held “for having organized his people in El Bosque against the corruption of the mayor; for this reason and due to the vengeance of the authorities, they invent a federal crime and sentence him unjustly to 60 years’ imprisonment.”

The invitation calls for the realization of “peaceful actions everywhere, with the slogan ‘In Chiapas we are missing four.'”  On this day, there will also be held a pilgrimage in Tuxtla Gutiérrez to the Palace for Federal Justice, in which will participate the Believing People of the Tsotsil zone (a process which pertains to the diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas).

For more information (in Spanish):

Patishtán convoca acción mundial para demandar justicia a presos políticos (La Jornada, 7 de agosto de 2013)

Convocatoria del profesor Patishtán (Alberto Patishtán, 4 de agosto de 2013)

Convocatoria del Movimiento del Pueblo del Bosque, Sociedad Civil Las Abejas de Acteal, Colectivos y Adherentes a La Sexta a la acción del 21 de agosto de 2013

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

Chiapas: 9 prisoners in solidarity with the Voz del Amate released, but Patishtán will remain imprisoned (20 July 2013)

Chiapas: March in Cerss no. 5 of San Cristóbal de Las Casas for prisoner Rosario Méndez (5 March 2013)

Chiapas: New sentence of 25 years for Rosario Díaz Méndez (5 February 2013)

Chiapas: Pilgrimage by the Believing People for the release of professor Alberto Patishtan (23 April 2013)

Chiapas: Petition from the CDHFBC to release Alberto Patishtán (15 April 2013)

 

Chiapas: Las Abejas lament release of yet another of those charged for Acteal massacre

During the religious celebration performed in the most recent monthly commemoration of the Acteal massacre, the Las Abejas Civil Society lamented that the Supreme Court for Justice in the Nation (SCJN) has released another indigenous person who had been incarcerated on the charge of having participated in the 22 December 1997 massacre in Acteal.  Las Abejas affirmed that “What we are now living here in Mexico confirms what we Abejas have always said: the organisms of the Mexican justice system do not serve justice but rather the interests of the powerful.”

“As in the case of the paramilitaries released previously, we are told that the reason for his release had to do with failures and violations to ‘due process.’  We think and denounce that this is nothing more than a pretext on the part of the authorities to twist justice in the way that is most convenient to them.”  Demonstrating this claim, Las Abejas indicated that the SCJN had denied review of the case of Alberto Patishtán, given that that case is marked by irregularities; moreover, the SCJN attended to the case of Florence Cassez, who had claimed failures to due process and was so released.  Another example that was mentioned was the “‘false Abejas’ who are playing with Salinas de Gortari so as to avenge Ernesto Zedillo, and a collegiate court immediately grants the motion to permit the continuation of the case against Zedillo in the U.S.”

Las Abejas assert that “the lack of justice and the means in which the authorities use law only for their benefit have resulted in the fact that throughout Mexico, some communities organize themselves for armed self-defense, as in the case of our friends from the Regional Coordination of Communal Authorities of the Mountain and Costa Chica of Guerrero.”  Distinguishing their perspective from that of many authorities and media, Las Abejas noted that “One thing is that people amidst total impunity organize themselves to apply justice according to their own methods, and another very different thing is seen when the government, unsatisfied with using its own repressive apparatus, resorts to using a part of the people who are tricked into repressing their own brothers.”

Finally, Las Abejas closed with saying that they are “seeking other means to obtain the justice that is denied us by the government, such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.  But for now we will say that we reject the ‘friendly’ calls made by the Mexican government through the IACHR to our brothers and sisters in Atenco, who have rejected these proposals with the same dignity we shall employ.”

For more information (in Spanish):

Comunicado completo (Sociedad Civil Las Abejas, 22 de marzo de 2013)

Los grupos de autodefensa, resultado de la impunidad en el país, aseguran Las Abejas (La Jornada, 26 de marzo de 2013)

Confían en nuevo Papa (Cuarto Poder, 23 de marzo de 2013)

Abejas lamentan más liberaciones por Acteal (Noticiasnet.mx, 25 de marzo de 2013)

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

Chiapas: New communique from Las Abejas de Acteal (24 January 2013)

Chiapas: Commemoration of 20th anniversary of Las Abejas and coming 15th anniversary of the Acteal massacre (21 December 2012)

Chiapas: Survivor of Acteal massacre dies (16 November 2012)

Chiapas: the Las Abejas Civil Society denounces reactivation of paramilitaries in its community (12 October 2012)

National-International: Zedillo obtains immunity for the Acteal case(19 September 2012)