Mexico prosecutes innocent man
7 August 2010
Amnesty International has condemned the decision by the Mexican authorities’ to pursue charges against human rights defender Raúl Hernández for a murder he did not commit.
Systematic campaign
“The decision to pursue fabricated murder charges against Raúl Hernández is part of a systematic campaign by the Mexican authorities against members of this Indigenous community standing up in defence of their people’s human rights,” said Colm O’Gorman, Director of Amnesty International Ireland
Raúl Hernández was wrongfully arrested and charged for the murder of Alejandro Feliciano Garcia on 1 January 2008 in the village of El Camalote, Guerrero State. However, eyewitness testimonies, stating that Raúl Hernández was not present at the time of the murder, were not taken into account.
During the criminal enquiry, the judge carried out an investigation of the crime scene, which confirmed that the eyewitness evidence, claiming that Raúl Hernández was present at the time of the murder, is unreliable and unfounded.
Retaliation
Amnesty International believes the case against Raúl Hernández is retaliation for his work for the Me’phaa Indigenous Peoples Organisation (OPIM) and for exposing abuses committed by local political bosses, the military and the authorities.
The southern state of Guerrero is home to about 116,000 Me’ phaa Indigenous People, and has one of the highest levels of marginalisation and some of the lowest indicators of human development in Mexico, according to local human rights organization Tlachinollan Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña.
“Authorities have often misused the judicial system to punish those who promote respect for the rights of marginalised communities and dare to speak up about abuses. It is high time Raúl be released” said Colm O’Gorman.
