Mexico: Decision to prosecute indigenous human rights defender condemned

[Judi Lynn]

August, 09 2010
Mexico: Decision to prosecute indigenous human rights defender condemned

Amnesty International has condemned the Mexican authorities' decision to pursue charges against human rights defender Raúl Hernández for a murder he did not commit, after a state prosecutor today decided to continue the case against him.
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The State Attorney General's Office of Guerrero upheld murder charges against Raúl Hernández, despite unreliable and fabricated evidence. The judge presiding over the case is expected to decide on his innocence or guilt within days.

"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 Kerrie Howard, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Americas Programme.

Amnesty International has been campaigning for Raúl Hernández's release since November 2008 when he was adopted as a Prisoner of Conscience.

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.

Amnesty International believes the case against Raúl Hernández has been brought by the authorities in reprisal for his legitimate activities promoting indigenous rights through the Me'phaa Indigenous Peoples Organisation (OPIM) and for exposing abuses committed by local political bosses, the military and the authorities.

More:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGPRE201008091830&lang=e&rss=recentnews