Judge Jesús Rafael Aragón
Segundo Tribunal Colegiado en Materias Penal y
Administrativa del Vigésimo Primer Circuito,
Boulevard de Las Naciones #640,
Granja 39, Fracción A,
Fracc. Granjas del Marqués
Acapulco, Guerrero. C.P. 39890
Telephone: (+52) (01) 744 466 43 33
Fax: (+52) (01) 744 466 19 86
Email: jraragon@mail.scjn.gob.mx

Date, place

Honorable Judge,

I, (Name/organisation), nationality citizen, take this opportunity to greet you and refer to the cases of Manuel Cruz Victoriano, Orlando Manzanarez Lorenzo, Natalio Ortega Cruz, Raúl Hernández Abundio and Romualdo Santiago Enedina, five human rights defenders from the Indigenous Me’phaa People’s Organisation (Organización del Pueblo Indígena Me’phaa, OPIM), who have been unfairly imprisoned since 17th April 2008 in Ayutla Social Re-adaptation Centre (Centro de Readaptación Social, CERESO), in Guerrero state.

On 7th July last year, the five prisoners turned to the federal justice system, presenting amparo number 982/2008 against the Mixed First Instance Judge from Allende Legal District in Ayutla de los Libres. They aimed to appeal against the preliminary detention order against them for the alleged murder of Alejandro Feliciano García.

On 15th October 2008, the Eighth District Judge in Guerrero state, Livia Lizbeth Larumbe Radilla, granted the amparo to Manuel Cruz, Orlando Manzanares, Natalio Ortega and Romualdo Santiago, ruling that the evidence presented during the process did not implicate them in the crime. Consequently, she ordered their release.

However, on 30th October 2008 on the last day of the period for registering appeals, the National Department of Justice (Procuraduría General de la República, PGR) interposed an amparo appeal against Judge Larumbe Radilla’s verdict; even though it had been clearly demonstrated that there is no evidence to indicate that they are guilty. This contradicts the principle of good faith that should prevail within the Public Prosecutor’s Office and as a result of their actions; the innocent OPIM members remain in prison nine months after their arrest and three months after Judge Larumbe ordered their release. I find the PGR’s decision to interpose this amparo appeal extremely disconcerting.

It is worth remembering that the OPIM has stood out for its valuable work denouncing human rights violations by civil and military authorities in Ayutla municipality. Among the most important cases that have been reported are the rape of Inés Fernández Ortega and Valentina Rosendo Cantú; two indigenous women, by soldiers in 2002. Both of these cases are being processed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). Similarly, the organisation denounced the forced sterilisation of 14 Me’phaa indigenous men in El Camalote community in 1998. The National Human Rights Commission (Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos, CNDH) issued recommendation 66/2007 with regards to this case.

As a result of the complaints against federal, state and municipal governments, the leaders and members of the OPIM have suffered constant threats and attacks. Consequently, since January 2005, the leaders of the organisation have had precautionary measures granted by the IACHR. On 27th June last year the Inter-American Commission asked to extend the aforementioned measures to the five prisoners, as well as other members of the OPIM.

The most respectable international human rights authorities, such as the UN and the OAS are keenly watching the progress of this case, as are prestigious non-governmental organisations such as Amnesty International; which declared the five men “Prisoners of conscience” in November 2008.

Currently, you have the important responsibility of resolving the amparo appeal presented by the PGR. I trust that you will carefully analyse the case and announce your verdict in an autonomous fashion, without political interference and in accordance with the truth and international standards for the protection of human rights.

I respectfully make the following requests:

To Circuit Court of Appeals headquartered in Acapulco:
- An impartial verdict, in accordance with the law, given that five innocent men remain unfairly deprived of their freedom.
- A stop to the PGR’s obstruction of the process.

To the federal and state executive branch:
- The cancellation of the arrest warrants against another 10 members of the OPIM.
- The fulfilment of the precautionary measures granted by the IACHR, especially with regards to the five prisoners.

Yours Sincerely,

Name, signature

Please send copies to:

Juan Alarcón Hernández: (President of the Commission for the Defence of Human Rights in Guerrero State.
Presidente de la Comisión de Defensa de los Derechos Humanos del Estado de Guerrero (Coddehum)
Avda. Juárez, Esq. Galo Soberón y Parra
Col. Centro, 39000,
Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico.
Telephone: (+52) (01) 747 471 21 90
Fax: (+52) (01) 747 471 2190
Email: coddehum@prodigy.net.mx

Eduardo Murueta Urrutia: Attorney General in Guerrero State.
Procurador de Justicia del Estado de Guerrero
Boulevard René Juárez Cisneros, esq. Juan Jiménez Sánchez,
Col. El Potrerito, C.P. 39098,
Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico.
Telephone: (+52) (01) 747 49 4 2980
Fax: (+52) (01) 747 49 4 2981
Email: pgj@guerrero.gob.mx

Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza: Attorney General for the Republic.
Procurador General de la República
Av. Paseo de la Reforma nº 211-213, Piso 16
Col. Cuauhtémoc, Del. Cuauhtémoc
Mexico D.F., C.P. 06500, México.
Telephone: (+52) (01) 55 53 46 01 60
Fax: (+52) (01) 55 53 46 09 08
Email: ofproc@pgr.gob.mx

Edmundo Román Pinzón: President of the Superior Tribunal of Justice in Guerrero State.
Presidente del Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Guerrero
Palacio de Justicia, Plaza Cívica Primer Congreso de Anáhuac S/N
Col. Centro, Chilpancingo, Guerrero, México, C.P. 39000
Telephones: (+52) (01)747-472-2137 / 747-472-4191
Fax: (+52) (01) 747 472 4191
Email: presidenciapje@tsj-guerrero.gob.mx

Tlachinollan Human Rights Centre
Mina #77, Col. Centro, Tlapa de Comonfort, Guerrero, México.
C.P. 41304
Teléfono: (+52) (01) 747 612 20
Fax: (+52) (01) 747 612 00
Email: cdhm@tlachinollan.org

Promoting indigenous rights in Mexico: Me' phaa Indigenous People's Organization
International Amnesty, PDF format