Mexico
10.10.02
Urgent Interventions
Mexico: hunger strike of 27 political prisoners and various common law convicts
Case MEX 101002
Hunger Strike / Personal Integrity
The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Mexico.
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of the OMCT has been informed of the serious grounds for concern for the physical and psychological integrity of 27 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, as well as for various common law convicts acting in support of the political prisoners, who have been on hunger strike for the last 15 days in the states of Oaxaca, Mexico, Bajo California and Sonora, in Mexico.
Reliable sources report that the following individuals, who have been imprisoned on political grounds or for reasons of conscience in various prisons, are on hunger strike:
State of Oaxaca:
Etla: Zacarías Pascual García López; Alvaro Sebastián Ramírez; Eusebio Santiago Felipe.
Ixcotel: Mario Ambrosio Martínez; Delfino Matías Juárez; Gregorio Ambrosio Antonio; Eleuterio Hernández García; Justino Hernández José; Agustín Luna Valencia; Ricardo Martínez Enríquez; Estanislao Martínez Santiago; Fortino Enriquez Hernández; Urbano Ruiz Cruz; Juan Días Gómez; Oscar Almaraz Juárez; Abraham García Ramírez; Cirilo Ambrosio Antonio.
State of México:
Neza-Bordo: Santiago Sánchez Silvestre; Juan García Cruz.
La Palma: Alejandro Cerezo Contreras; Héctor Cerezo Contreras; Antonio Cerezo Contreras; Pablo Alvarado Flores; Sergio Bautista Martínez; José Luis López García.
State of Baja California Norte:
Ensenada: 1 prisoner of conscience and seven common law prisoners who are supporting the former (names currently unknown).
State of Sonora: Beatriz Chávez Paredes
According to the information received, Alejandro, Héctor and Antonio Cerezo Contreras (three brothers) and Pablo Alvarado Flores are being detained in the Federal Prison of La Palma in Almoloya de Juaréz, accused of crimes which they deny having committed. The reports add that there are signs that the health of the Cerezo Contreras brothers is deteriorating: they suffer from dizziness and headaches and are no longer able to read; Alejandro Cerezo Contreras has now lost 9 kilos.
The reports state that the strikers demand the implementation of recommendations in the Amnesty Law initiatives, the acquittal of the Cerezo Contreras brothers and Pablo Alvarado, and of all other prisoners of conscience awaiting trial.
Permission for medical and human rights representatives of NGOs to visit the prisons of La Palma and Neza-Bordo has been requested in order to examine the hunger strikers’ health and to guarantee their physical integrity. No response form the prison authorities has as yet been reported, and the prison authorities reportedly harass the detainees constantly, bringing them food in order to pressurise them into eating and into renouncing their hunger strike.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT wishes to express its concern for the safety and for the physical and psychological integrity of the political prisoners mentioned above.
Action requested:
Please write to the Mexican authorities, urging them to:
1. guarantee the safety and the physical and psychological integrity, as well as access to adequate medical attention, for the prisoners of conscience and the common law prisoners mentioned above who are on hunger strike in their respective prisons;
2. order that all persons arrested in connection to this affair be released immediately in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
3. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the reports of harassment described above in order to identify those responsible and guarantee that they are brought to trial and that the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions are applied as provided by law;
4. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country, in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards, particularly the American Convention for Human Rights and the International Pact for Civil and Political rights, and the Convention Against Torture, all ratified by Mexico
Addresses:
· Doctor Vicente Fox Quezada, Presidente de la República Mexicana,
México Distrito Federal, Fax: (+52 5) 516 58 37, (+52 5) 515 57 29,
Email: radio@presidencia.gob.mx sprivada@presidencia.gob.mx
· Lic. Jorge Madrazo Cuellar, Procurador General de la República, Av.Reforma, esq. Violeta, Col Guerrero México DF, CP 06300 Mexico / DF México, Fax: (+52 5) 626 44 26, Email: ofproc@pgr.gob.mx
· Dr. José Luis Sobenares Fernández, Presidente de la Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos, Periféco Sur 3469, Col. San Jeronimo Lidice, CP 10200 México / Df México, Fax: (+52 5) 681 71 99, (+52 5) 681 92 39
· Emb. Mariclaire Acosta Urquidi, Embajadora Especial de Derechos Humanos y Democracia, Fax : +52 5327 30 45, Email : macosta@sre.gob.mx
· Mtro. Ricardo Sepúlveda; Director de la Unidad de Estudios Legislativos. Av. Reforma 99, Col. Tabacalera, C.P. 06030 México D.F. Fax: 0052-55-128 02 34; Tel: 0052-55-5128 0224, Email : rsepulveda@segob.gob.mx
· Misión Permanente de México ante las Naciones Unidas, Ginebra, Suiza, Fax. : (+ 41 22) 748 07 08; Email: mission.mexico@ties.itu.int
Please also write to the diplomatic representatives of Mexico in your country.
Geneva, October 10th, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Hunger Strike / Personal Integrity
The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Mexico.
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of the OMCT has been informed of the serious grounds for concern for the physical and psychological integrity of 27 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, as well as for various common law convicts acting in support of the political prisoners, who have been on hunger strike for the last 15 days in the states of Oaxaca, Mexico, Bajo California and Sonora, in Mexico.
Reliable sources report that the following individuals, who have been imprisoned on political grounds or for reasons of conscience in various prisons, are on hunger strike:
State of Oaxaca:
Etla: Zacarías Pascual García López; Alvaro Sebastián Ramírez; Eusebio Santiago Felipe.
Ixcotel: Mario Ambrosio Martínez; Delfino Matías Juárez; Gregorio Ambrosio Antonio; Eleuterio Hernández García; Justino Hernández José; Agustín Luna Valencia; Ricardo Martínez Enríquez; Estanislao Martínez Santiago; Fortino Enriquez Hernández; Urbano Ruiz Cruz; Juan Días Gómez; Oscar Almaraz Juárez; Abraham García Ramírez; Cirilo Ambrosio Antonio.
State of México:
Neza-Bordo: Santiago Sánchez Silvestre; Juan García Cruz.
La Palma: Alejandro Cerezo Contreras; Héctor Cerezo Contreras; Antonio Cerezo Contreras; Pablo Alvarado Flores; Sergio Bautista Martínez; José Luis López García.
State of Baja California Norte:
Ensenada: 1 prisoner of conscience and seven common law prisoners who are supporting the former (names currently unknown).
State of Sonora: Beatriz Chávez Paredes
According to the information received, Alejandro, Héctor and Antonio Cerezo Contreras (three brothers) and Pablo Alvarado Flores are being detained in the Federal Prison of La Palma in Almoloya de Juaréz, accused of crimes which they deny having committed. The reports add that there are signs that the health of the Cerezo Contreras brothers is deteriorating: they suffer from dizziness and headaches and are no longer able to read; Alejandro Cerezo Contreras has now lost 9 kilos.
The reports state that the strikers demand the implementation of recommendations in the Amnesty Law initiatives, the acquittal of the Cerezo Contreras brothers and Pablo Alvarado, and of all other prisoners of conscience awaiting trial.
Permission for medical and human rights representatives of NGOs to visit the prisons of La Palma and Neza-Bordo has been requested in order to examine the hunger strikers’ health and to guarantee their physical integrity. No response form the prison authorities has as yet been reported, and the prison authorities reportedly harass the detainees constantly, bringing them food in order to pressurise them into eating and into renouncing their hunger strike.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT wishes to express its concern for the safety and for the physical and psychological integrity of the political prisoners mentioned above.
Action requested:
Please write to the Mexican authorities, urging them to:
1. guarantee the safety and the physical and psychological integrity, as well as access to adequate medical attention, for the prisoners of conscience and the common law prisoners mentioned above who are on hunger strike in their respective prisons;
2. order that all persons arrested in connection to this affair be released immediately in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
3. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the reports of harassment described above in order to identify those responsible and guarantee that they are brought to trial and that the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions are applied as provided by law;
4. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country, in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards, particularly the American Convention for Human Rights and the International Pact for Civil and Political rights, and the Convention Against Torture, all ratified by Mexico
Addresses:
· Doctor Vicente Fox Quezada, Presidente de la República Mexicana,
México Distrito Federal, Fax: (+52 5) 516 58 37, (+52 5) 515 57 29,
Email: radio@presidencia.gob.mx sprivada@presidencia.gob.mx
· Lic. Jorge Madrazo Cuellar, Procurador General de la República, Av.Reforma, esq. Violeta, Col Guerrero México DF, CP 06300 Mexico / DF México, Fax: (+52 5) 626 44 26, Email: ofproc@pgr.gob.mx
· Dr. José Luis Sobenares Fernández, Presidente de la Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos, Periféco Sur 3469, Col. San Jeronimo Lidice, CP 10200 México / Df México, Fax: (+52 5) 681 71 99, (+52 5) 681 92 39
· Emb. Mariclaire Acosta Urquidi, Embajadora Especial de Derechos Humanos y Democracia, Fax : +52 5327 30 45, Email : macosta@sre.gob.mx
· Mtro. Ricardo Sepúlveda; Director de la Unidad de Estudios Legislativos. Av. Reforma 99, Col. Tabacalera, C.P. 06030 México D.F. Fax: 0052-55-128 02 34; Tel: 0052-55-5128 0224, Email : rsepulveda@segob.gob.mx
· Misión Permanente de México ante las Naciones Unidas, Ginebra, Suiza, Fax. : (+ 41 22) 748 07 08; Email: mission.mexico@ties.itu.int
Please also write to the diplomatic representatives of Mexico in your country.
Geneva, October 10th, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.