Mexico
10.05.01
Urgent Interventions
Mexico: Torture and release of Benjamin Romero Ureiro
Case MEX 150201.1CC
Follow-up of Case MEX 150201
CHILD CONCERN
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Mexico.
New information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has just been informed by Limeddh, a member of the OMCT network, of the liberation of Benjamín Romero Ureiro, a student who was the victim of a forced disappearance, interrogation and torture in Morelie, Michoacán.
According to the “Liga Mexicana por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos” (Limeddh), after having disappeared for 27 days, 17-year old Benjamín Romero Ureiro has re-appeared. During a press conference, he confirmed that he had been kidnapped, tortured and interrogated about the students movement. He also stated that he won’t be pressing charges against his kidnappers, because he doesn’t trust in the legal system or the authorities, and that he will return to Guerrero, his home-town, to finish his studies.
According to his testimony, Benjamín Romero Ureiro left the “2 de Octubre” student house in Morelia at 6 am on Sunday 14th January 2001, in order to visit a friend. He added that was carrying a back-pack containing five thousand pesos, which was to be used to pay off a student hostel debt, and was taken from him by his kidnappers. He was reportedly intercepted at the intersection of Zamora and Cuautla streets by a three men who got out of a black car and drugged him with a substance that he believes was either formaldehyde or ether.
Benjamín Romero Ureiro reportedly woke up in a room at around 11 o’clock at night somewhere in the outskirts of Mexico City, where he stayed for four days without eating. He knew that he was being held in this area because of a radio that his kidnappers had lent to him. Afterwards he was transferred in a trailer to the state of Jalisco, where he stayed for a further eight days. He was then reportedly transferred in a trailer to Hermosillo, Sonora, where he stayed for five days and was interrogated about the university’s student movement, especially about five students that are members of the General Council of Strikes (GCH) who are currently on trial by the university court (UNAM).
According to Benjamín Romero Ureiro’s statement, his kidnappers seemed to belong to the police forces. They reportedly hit him and warned him to reduce his activities in the student movement and that his kidnapping should serve as a warning. He was then transported again and thrown out on the highway, in the state of Nayarit, from whence he returned to Michaocán.
According to the Limeddh, victims of forced disappearances, detention in unofficial prisons and torture, are often intimidated by their aggressors to the point that they refuse to press charges against them, reinforcing the tendency of violators of this kind of fundamental right to benefit from impunity. Despite being disappointed by this outcome, OMCT and the Limeddh understand and respect Benjamín Romero Ureiro’s decision not to press charges and continue with this case.
Brief reminder of the situation
According to the information received from the Asociación de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos y Víctimas de Violaciones a los Derechos Humanos en México (AFADEM-FEDEFAM, Mexico), affiliate of FEDEFAM, a member of the OMCT network, Benjamín Romero Ureiro disappeared on 14 January 2001, in Morelia, Michoacán. The boy is a Mixteco indigenous from the community of Cahuatache, borough of Xalpatláhuac, Guerrero. The information reported that on Sunday 14 January, at 9:00 a.m. Benjamín Romero Ureiro left the student house ‘2 de octubre’, located at 333 calle Benedicto López, colonia centro, in Morelia, Michoacán, where he used to live. On that day, he told a friend, that he was going to organise some activities in another student house. Nevertheless, he did not get to any of the nine student houses he used to frequent.
According to his peers, the alleged abduction and disappearence must have occured between his residence and the other student house he was going to. The same source reports that during the preceding days, Benjamín Romero Ureiro, as well as other student leaders had received anonymous phone calls to intimidate and threaten him with death: "ya bájale de huevos, los vamos a madrear" (if you keep on annoying us we will kill you).
According to the information, Benjamín Romero Ureiro is a fifth semester student at the Escuela Preparatoria Isaac Arriaga number 4, linked to the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, in Morelia. He was allegedly an activist of the student movement, taking part in different demonstrations calling for better attention to the needs of the student houses. He is currently University Advisor at the Escuela Preparatoria Isaac Arriaga number 4 and member of the board of the Student House ‘2 de octubre’.
The family of Benjamín Romero Ureiro is afraid that he has been victim of a forced disappearence due to his activism. They therefore lodged a complaint to the Public Prosecutor of the Ordinary Court (Agencia del Ministerio Público del Fuero Común) of Morelia for the crime of deprivation of personal liberty or abduction. Nevertheless, up until now there is no information on his whereabouts.
The International Secretariat of OMCT joins AFADEM in its grave concern for the physical and psychological integrity of Benjamín Romero Ureiro.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities of Mexico urging them to:
i. order an exhaustive and impartial investigation into the disappearance of Benjamín Romero Ureiro, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
ii. conform with the Universal Declaration on Human rights as well as other international instruments relative to human rights ratified by Mexico, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Addresses:
Doctor Vicente Fox Quezada. Presidente de la República Mexicana. México Distrito Federal Correo Electrónico: vicente@fox2000.org.mx radio@presidencia.gob.mx FAX: (+ 52 5) 522 20 00 Tel: 5542 4111 www.presidencia.gob.mx
Dr. Jorge Madrazo Cuellar, Procurador General de la República, Av. Paseo de la Reforma esq. Violeta México, DF CP 06300. Fax: (+ 52 5) 346 09 04
Dr. José Luis Soberanes, Presidente de la Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos, México Distrito Federal. Fax: (+ 52 5) 681 71 99.Tel: (+ 52 ) 5 681 8032; 5681 7199
Lic. Victor Manuel Tinoco Rubi, Gobernador del Estado de Michoacán, Tel: +52 (0143)1400 71. FAX: (+ 52 ) 0143 13-76-75.
Lic. Jorge Eduardo García Torres, Procurador General de Justicia, En el Estado de Michoacán. Tel: (+ 52 ) 01 43 16-32-60. EXT. 165. (+ 52 ) (0143) 26-23-51.
Lic. Jesús López Trujillo, Delegado de la Procuraduría, General de la República en el Estado de Michoacán. tel: (+ 52 ) 01 43 13 0991
The Diplomatic Representatives of Mexico in your country.
Geneva, May 14th 2001.
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Follow-up of Case MEX 150201
CHILD CONCERN
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Mexico.
New information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has just been informed by Limeddh, a member of the OMCT network, of the liberation of Benjamín Romero Ureiro, a student who was the victim of a forced disappearance, interrogation and torture in Morelie, Michoacán.
According to the “Liga Mexicana por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos” (Limeddh), after having disappeared for 27 days, 17-year old Benjamín Romero Ureiro has re-appeared. During a press conference, he confirmed that he had been kidnapped, tortured and interrogated about the students movement. He also stated that he won’t be pressing charges against his kidnappers, because he doesn’t trust in the legal system or the authorities, and that he will return to Guerrero, his home-town, to finish his studies.
According to his testimony, Benjamín Romero Ureiro left the “2 de Octubre” student house in Morelia at 6 am on Sunday 14th January 2001, in order to visit a friend. He added that was carrying a back-pack containing five thousand pesos, which was to be used to pay off a student hostel debt, and was taken from him by his kidnappers. He was reportedly intercepted at the intersection of Zamora and Cuautla streets by a three men who got out of a black car and drugged him with a substance that he believes was either formaldehyde or ether.
Benjamín Romero Ureiro reportedly woke up in a room at around 11 o’clock at night somewhere in the outskirts of Mexico City, where he stayed for four days without eating. He knew that he was being held in this area because of a radio that his kidnappers had lent to him. Afterwards he was transferred in a trailer to the state of Jalisco, where he stayed for a further eight days. He was then reportedly transferred in a trailer to Hermosillo, Sonora, where he stayed for five days and was interrogated about the university’s student movement, especially about five students that are members of the General Council of Strikes (GCH) who are currently on trial by the university court (UNAM).
According to Benjamín Romero Ureiro’s statement, his kidnappers seemed to belong to the police forces. They reportedly hit him and warned him to reduce his activities in the student movement and that his kidnapping should serve as a warning. He was then transported again and thrown out on the highway, in the state of Nayarit, from whence he returned to Michaocán.
According to the Limeddh, victims of forced disappearances, detention in unofficial prisons and torture, are often intimidated by their aggressors to the point that they refuse to press charges against them, reinforcing the tendency of violators of this kind of fundamental right to benefit from impunity. Despite being disappointed by this outcome, OMCT and the Limeddh understand and respect Benjamín Romero Ureiro’s decision not to press charges and continue with this case.
Brief reminder of the situation
According to the information received from the Asociación de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos y Víctimas de Violaciones a los Derechos Humanos en México (AFADEM-FEDEFAM, Mexico), affiliate of FEDEFAM, a member of the OMCT network, Benjamín Romero Ureiro disappeared on 14 January 2001, in Morelia, Michoacán. The boy is a Mixteco indigenous from the community of Cahuatache, borough of Xalpatláhuac, Guerrero. The information reported that on Sunday 14 January, at 9:00 a.m. Benjamín Romero Ureiro left the student house ‘2 de octubre’, located at 333 calle Benedicto López, colonia centro, in Morelia, Michoacán, where he used to live. On that day, he told a friend, that he was going to organise some activities in another student house. Nevertheless, he did not get to any of the nine student houses he used to frequent.
According to his peers, the alleged abduction and disappearence must have occured between his residence and the other student house he was going to. The same source reports that during the preceding days, Benjamín Romero Ureiro, as well as other student leaders had received anonymous phone calls to intimidate and threaten him with death: "ya bájale de huevos, los vamos a madrear" (if you keep on annoying us we will kill you).
According to the information, Benjamín Romero Ureiro is a fifth semester student at the Escuela Preparatoria Isaac Arriaga number 4, linked to the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, in Morelia. He was allegedly an activist of the student movement, taking part in different demonstrations calling for better attention to the needs of the student houses. He is currently University Advisor at the Escuela Preparatoria Isaac Arriaga number 4 and member of the board of the Student House ‘2 de octubre’.
The family of Benjamín Romero Ureiro is afraid that he has been victim of a forced disappearence due to his activism. They therefore lodged a complaint to the Public Prosecutor of the Ordinary Court (Agencia del Ministerio Público del Fuero Común) of Morelia for the crime of deprivation of personal liberty or abduction. Nevertheless, up until now there is no information on his whereabouts.
The International Secretariat of OMCT joins AFADEM in its grave concern for the physical and psychological integrity of Benjamín Romero Ureiro.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities of Mexico urging them to:
i. order an exhaustive and impartial investigation into the disappearance of Benjamín Romero Ureiro, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
ii. conform with the Universal Declaration on Human rights as well as other international instruments relative to human rights ratified by Mexico, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Addresses:
Doctor Vicente Fox Quezada. Presidente de la República Mexicana. México Distrito Federal Correo Electrónico: vicente@fox2000.org.mx radio@presidencia.gob.mx FAX: (+ 52 5) 522 20 00 Tel: 5542 4111 www.presidencia.gob.mx
Dr. Jorge Madrazo Cuellar, Procurador General de la República, Av. Paseo de la Reforma esq. Violeta México, DF CP 06300. Fax: (+ 52 5) 346 09 04
Dr. José Luis Soberanes, Presidente de la Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos, México Distrito Federal. Fax: (+ 52 5) 681 71 99.Tel: (+ 52 ) 5 681 8032; 5681 7199
Lic. Victor Manuel Tinoco Rubi, Gobernador del Estado de Michoacán, Tel: +52 (0143)1400 71. FAX: (+ 52 ) 0143 13-76-75.
Lic. Jorge Eduardo García Torres, Procurador General de Justicia, En el Estado de Michoacán. Tel: (+ 52 ) 01 43 16-32-60. EXT. 165. (+ 52 ) (0143) 26-23-51.
Lic. Jesús López Trujillo, Delegado de la Procuraduría, General de la República en el Estado de Michoacán. tel: (+ 52 ) 01 43 13 0991
The Diplomatic Representatives of Mexico in your country.
Geneva, May 14th 2001.
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.