Update on Zapatista prisoners held in appalling conditons
Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group | 20.05.2009 22:44
San Cristobal de las Casas, Chis. May 15. The eight Tzeltales (a local indigenous group) from San Sebastian
Bachajon, under criminal process in El Amate, have been subjected to forced hard labor for up to 24 hours by “precisos” who are a group of prisoners supported by the authorities. However, this morning Miguel Vazquez Moreno was released, the only prisoner who is from a Zapatista community. The other seven that remain in prison are members of the Other Campaign, a national and international revolutionary campaign initiated by the EZLN. The government insists on accusing them of false criminal charges. Given the alarming conditions of their confinement, the Human Rights Centre Frayba, has asked the InterAmerican HR Commission to urge the mexican government to adopt “without delay” measures to protect them, as the personal safety of the prisoners is at serious risk
Bachajon, under criminal process in El Amate, have been subjected to forced hard labor for up to 24 hours by “precisos” who are a group of prisoners supported by the authorities. However, this morning Miguel Vazquez Moreno was released, the only prisoner who is from a Zapatista community. The other seven that remain in prison are members of the Other Campaign, a national and international revolutionary campaign initiated by the EZLN. The government insists on accusing them of false criminal charges. Given the alarming conditions of their confinement, the Human Rights Centre Frayba, has asked the InterAmerican HR Commission to urge the mexican government to adopt “without delay” measures to protect them, as the personal safety of the prisoners is at serious risk
The call was addressed to Santiago Canton, who heads the Commission, by Blanca Martinez Bustos from Frayba Centre, saying that the indigenous prisoners are “unjustly” imprisoned. The letter identifies them as “political prisoners”: Gerónimo Moreno, Antonio Gómez Saragos, Gerónimo Saragos Gomez, Alfredo Gomez Moreno, Miguel Demeza Jiménez, Pedro and Sebastian Demeza Demeza and the now released Miguel Vazquez Moreno.
The Frayba Centre corroborated the testimony of the detainees, "subjected to forced labor 24 hours a day and subject to threats that damage their personal safety, by the so-called “precisos”, who are supported by the prison authorities. In particular, the prisoner Gerónimo Dear Moreno “shows difficulty speaking and breathing, and havsn't been attended by a doctor at the prison.”
The arrest of these indigenous people, says Martínez Bustos, "is part of the political persecution of the federal and Chiapas government against the ejido San Sebastian Bachajon, Chilon municipality and the support bases of the EZLN in this ejido, due to its organizational work to defend their rights as indigenous people, land and natural resources, as well as assuming the task of providing security to the inhabitants of the ejido due to the ineffectiveness and corruption of the local police. "
The Frayba Centre “has documented patterns of human rights violations, particularly against the indigenous population in the prisons in Chiapas, of slavery and being forced to live in spaces with no minimum guarantees of dignity.” Such practices “of discrimination and racial violence are tolerated by the authorities,” and executed "by prisoners of mestizo origin, known as “precisos”, that maintain control of the prison population."
The Mexican state “has an international obligation to guarantee the rights and freedom”, of the people in its custody, and not merely the obligation to not torture or mistreat them”. Prisons are places where the state has full control over the lives of detainees and prisoners, among their obligations is “to protect them against acts of violence from any source.”
On the 15th May it was confirmed that Miguel Vázquez Moreno left El Amate prison at 8 pm, and unofficially, he was transported to Ocosingo, but no apologies were offered. He was a arrested on April 18 and immediately recognized by the Junta de Buen Gobierno (Zapatista council) of Morelia, and was deprived of his freedom almost a month.
For background information see
http://www.edinchiapas.org.uk/node/230 and http://www.edinchiapas.org.uk/node/233
The Frayba Centre corroborated the testimony of the detainees, "subjected to forced labor 24 hours a day and subject to threats that damage their personal safety, by the so-called “precisos”, who are supported by the prison authorities. In particular, the prisoner Gerónimo Dear Moreno “shows difficulty speaking and breathing, and havsn't been attended by a doctor at the prison.”
The arrest of these indigenous people, says Martínez Bustos, "is part of the political persecution of the federal and Chiapas government against the ejido San Sebastian Bachajon, Chilon municipality and the support bases of the EZLN in this ejido, due to its organizational work to defend their rights as indigenous people, land and natural resources, as well as assuming the task of providing security to the inhabitants of the ejido due to the ineffectiveness and corruption of the local police. "
The Frayba Centre “has documented patterns of human rights violations, particularly against the indigenous population in the prisons in Chiapas, of slavery and being forced to live in spaces with no minimum guarantees of dignity.” Such practices “of discrimination and racial violence are tolerated by the authorities,” and executed "by prisoners of mestizo origin, known as “precisos”, that maintain control of the prison population."
The Mexican state “has an international obligation to guarantee the rights and freedom”, of the people in its custody, and not merely the obligation to not torture or mistreat them”. Prisons are places where the state has full control over the lives of detainees and prisoners, among their obligations is “to protect them against acts of violence from any source.”
On the 15th May it was confirmed that Miguel Vázquez Moreno left El Amate prison at 8 pm, and unofficially, he was transported to Ocosingo, but no apologies were offered. He was a arrested on April 18 and immediately recognized by the Junta de Buen Gobierno (Zapatista council) of Morelia, and was deprived of his freedom almost a month.
For background information see
http://www.edinchiapas.org.uk/node/230 and http://www.edinchiapas.org.uk/node/233
Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group
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