Joint Statement WHRDIC: Justice for Bettina Cruz Velázquez
The Women Human RightsDefenders International Coalition is calling for justice for Bettina Cruz Velázquez who has been unfairly andseverely prosecuted as an act of reprisal for her work as a woman human rightsdefender.
Bettina Cruz Velázquez is currently going throughcriminal proceedings launched by the Mexican Federal Government in 2012, withan outcome expected in days. She is accused of having committed the crimes of:
· - Unlawful deprivation of liberty; and,
· - Crimes Against Consumption and National Wealth, under Articles 364 and254 TER Section I of the Federal Penal Code, as part of a demonstration, atwhich she was NOT present.
Since the start of hertrial, she has been threatened, assaulted and arbitrarily detained by agents ofthe state.
Bettina Cruz Velázquez is is an Indigenous binnizáwoman, member of the Asamblea de los Pueblos Indígenas del Istmo de Tehuantepecen Defensa de la Tierra y el Territorio (APIITDTT - Assembly of IndigenousPeoples of the Tehuantepec Isthmus in Defense of Land and Territory) in OaxacaMexico.
Since 2007, she hascampaigned to defend their territory against the Mareña Renewables, Gas NaturalFenosa, Demex (Renovalia Energy), Enel and Iberdrola companies that haveattempted to grab their ejido and communal lands to install wind powergenerators.
There has been a lack oftransparency in the development of the projects without the free, prior andinformed consent of the indigenous peoples on whose lands the generators werebuilt. Despite requests by the community for authorities to intervene, theyhave remained absent and placed corporate interests ahead of human rightsobligations.
In response to thecommunities’ peaceful protests, the Mexican government has chosen to enactreprisals against human rights defenders. The WHRDIC has grave concerns thatthis is a strategy to intimidate, persecute and criminalize not only BettinaCruz’s work, but also the legitimate work of all human rights defenders withthe goal to put limits on advocacy work and serve as a mechanism of criminalisationof social protest.
The WHRDIC will monitor thetrial closely to ensure that Mexico upholds its international human rightsobligations.
Notes
The Women Human Rights Defender International Coalitionis a resource and advocacy network supporting women defenders worldwide. Wehave 29 members:
Amnesty International (AI)
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM ASIA)
The Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID)
BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights (BAOBAB)
Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR)
Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL)
Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL)
Front Line Defenders
Human Rights First
Information Monitor (INFORM)
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific(IWRAW-AP)
Isis International
ISIS Women’s International Cross-Cultural Exchange(ISIS-WICCE)
Just Associates (JASS)
The Latin American and Caribbean Committee for theDefense of Women’s Rights (CLADEM)
MADRE
Nazra for Feminist Studies
Peace Brigades International
Rainbow Rights Project (R-Rights), Inc.
Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights (UAF)
Women Living under Muslim Laws (WLUML)
Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights
Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice (WIGJ)
Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC)
World Organisation against Torture (OMCT)
