Five Tzeltal adherents to the Other Campaign, from the Ejido San Sebastian
Bachajon, were released from the prison El Amate (Centro Estatal para la
Reinsercion Social de Sentenciados no.14) on the 6th July 2009. The
prisoners who were released were Geronimo Moreno Deara, Sebasian Demeza
Deara, Pedro Demeza Deara, Alfredo Gomez Moreno and Miguel Demeza Jimenez.
The human rights centre Fray Bartolome de las Casas and OMCT remain
concerned about the situation of the remaining 2 prisoners, Antonio Gomez
Saragos and Jeronimo Gomez Saragos, who were arrested during the same
operation.

The OMCT emphasizes that during this operation all of these men were
subject to human rights violations, including maltreatment and torture to
pressure them into signing confessions, denial of the right to an
interpreter or a legal representative who know their culture and language,
violation of their right to liberty, their right to protection and their
legal rights under Mexican and international law.

Background
Eight indigenous Tzeltales from the Agua Azul area, Chilon municipality,
were arrested during police operations between 13 and 18 April 2009, and
were kept in lamentable conditions in the jail El Amane, Chiapas State. The
prisoners ahve denounced that they were forced by police agents to confess
to highway robbery, and carrying knives and machetes, and that they were
coerced by maltreatment and torture into putting their fingerprints (which
have the legal status of a signature) on a declaration of guilt, without
knowing what the document contained (since they cannot read and write and
none of them understand much Spanish). Also the prisoners were punched and
kicked in various parts of the body, one prisoner had a tooth broken when
he was hit with a pistol butt, during transfer police officers sat on the
prisoners, and one prisoner was blindfolded, with a bag of water over his
head and a wet handkerchief over his nose, to simulate
suffocation/drowning.

On the 8th of May, 7 of the prisoners were charged with robbery with
violence and organized crime, while the eighth, Miguel Vazquez Moreno, was
freed due to lack of evidence against him. The seven prisoners who remained
in el Amate were subject to forced labour day and night, and were suffering
from poor health as a result of their maltreatment, but had been denied
medical care. This was reported by their family members, who visited them
on 26th May 2009.

Action Needed
Please write to the Mexican authorities, asking them to

1. Take the necessary steps to ensure the safety and mental and physical
wellbeing of the two remaining prisoners, Antonio Gomez Saragos and
Jeronimo Gomez Saragos, including access to free and adecuate medical care.

2. Order the immediate release of Antonio Gomez Saragos and Jeronimo Gomez
Saragos, in the absence of valid legal charges. Should a legal case against
them exist, this should be reviewed by a fair, independent, impartial and
competent tribunal, with respect for due legal process.

3. Carry out an immediate, impartial and effective investigation into the
human rights abuses against all of the eight prisoners, especially into
allegations of mistreatment, and make the results of this investigation
public, bringing those responsible before an effective, impartial,
independent and fair tribunal.

4. Make reparations for the injustice suffered by all eight prisoners,
Antonio Gomez Saragos, Jeronimo Gomez Saragos, Geronimo Moreno Deara,
Sebasian Demeza Deara, Pedro Demeza Deara, Alfredo Gomez Moreno, Miguel
Demeza Jimeneza and Miguel Vazquez Moreno, including indemnization and
rehabilitation.

5. Guarantee than human rights will be respected in Mexico in future, in
accordance with Mexican and International law.

Regards,



Please copy, sign and send the following to the addresses below:

Señor Presidente Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa
Presidencia de la Republica
Residencia Oficial de Los Pinos Casa Miguel Aleman
Col. San Miguel Chapultepec
C.P. 11850
DISTRITO FEDERAL
Puerta Central Mexico
Telephone: +52 (55) 27891100 Fax: +52 (55) 52772376
Email:  felipe.calderon@presidencia.gob.mx

Licenciado Juan José Sabines Guerrero
Gobernador Constitucional del Estado de Chiapas
Gobernatura del Estado de Chiapas
Palacio de Gobierno del Estado de Chiapas
Av. Central y Primera Oriente
Colonia Centro
C.P. 29009
Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Chiapas
México
Telephone: +52 (961) 6188056 Fax: +52 (961) 6188088　
Email:  juansabines@chiapas.gob.mx,  secparticular@chiapas.gob.mx

Licenciada Fernando Francisco Gomez-Mont Urueta
Minister of the Interior
Secretaria de Gobernacion
Bucareli 99.
1 er piso
Col. Juarez, Del. Cuauhtemoc
Mexico D.F.
C.P.06600
Mexico
Fax: +52 55 5093 3414
Email:  secretario@segob.gob.mx

Dr. José Luis Soberanes Fernández
Presidente de la Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos
Comision Nacional de los Drechos Humanos
Edificio "Hector Fix Zamudio"
6 er piso
Blvd. Adolfo Lopez Mateos n. 1922
Col. Tlacopac San Angel
Del. Alvaro Obregon
Mexico D.F.
C.P. 01040
Mexico
Fax: +52 55 56817199
Email:  correo@fmdh.cndh.org.mx,  correo@cndh.org.mx



Septiembre de 2009

P R E S E N T E S

El motivo de la presente es solicitar a ustedes su atención urgente para
la liberación inmediata e incondicional del Sr. Antonio Gómez Saragos y
el Sr. Jerónimo Gómez Saragos. Quienes han estado injustamente presos y
han sido sometidos a tratos inhumanos violando sus derechos humanos y
garantías individuales. Así como también atender las denuncias de las
personas que fueron liberadas el pasado 6 de Julio de 2009 por el mismo
caso; quienes también fueron sometidos a tratos de tortura y se negó todo
respeto a sus derechos más elementales.

Este documento se suma al llamado urgente de la Organización Mundial
Contra La Tortura (OMCT - Casos MEX 240409, 240409.1 y 240409.2) demandando
su atención inmediata en los siguientes puntos:

i. Tomar INMEDIATAMENTE las medidas apropiadas y necesarias para garantizar
la seguridad y la integridad física y psicológica incluyendo la atención
médica adecuada y gratuita que requiera tanto el Sr. Antonio Gómez
Saragos como el Sr. Jerónimo Gómez Saragos;

ii. Ordenar la liberación inmediata de los Sres. Antonio Gómez Saragos y
Jerónimo Gómez Saragos, en caso de encontrarse detenidos en ausencia de
cargos legales válidos o, en caso de que estos cargos existan, llevarlos
ante un tribunal independiente, competente, justo e imparcial y
garantizarle a cada uno sus derechos procesales en todo momento;

iii. Llevar a cabo una investigación inmediata, completa, independiente,
efectiva e imparcial en torno a todas las violaciones de los derechos
humanos cometidas contra las personas arriba mencionadas, en particular
sobre las alegaciones de tortura y/o malos tratos infligidas contra las
mismas y que las conclusiones de esta investigación se hagan públicas,
con el fin de identificar a los responsables y llevarlos ante un tribunal
competente, independiente, justo e imparcial y aplicarles las sanciones
penales y/o administrativas previstas por la ley;

iv. Garantizar una adecuada reparación a los Sres. Antonio Gómez Saragos,
Jerónimo Gómez Saragos, Gerónimo Moreno Deara, Sebastián Demeza Deara,
Pedro Demeza Deara, Alfredo Gómez Moreno y Miguel Demeza Jiménez, y
Miguel Vázquez Moreno, incluyendo una indemnización y una
rehabilitación;

v. Garantizar de manera general el respeto de los derechos humanos y las
libertades fundamentales en todo el país, de conformidad con las normas
internacionales de derechos humanos ratificadas por México.

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