On 5 September, Mexican authorities attacked and arrested demonstrators in Mexico City. Later the same day, they also attacked family members and supporters of the detained when they made enquiries about their incarceration at the Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de Justicia de la Ciudad de México, FGJCDMX).
Among those assaulted was a lawyer and member of ARTICLE 19’s Mexico and Central America office, who was documenting the arrests and providing assistance to those arbitrarily detained. Security forces also confiscated his phones, which have not yet been returned to him.
Following the attacks, a coalition of human rights organisations issued a joint statement calling for Mexican authorities to protect activists and journalists, and to hold those responsible for the attack to account.
We stand in full solidarity with our colleagues in Mexico, and with fellow human rights activists and protesters.
The statement follows.
In the wake of authorities’ attacks against activists during a protest in the Xochimilco and Tlalpan areas of Mexico City, a coalition of human rights organisations call for the Mexican authorities to protect human rights defenders, protesters, indigenous communities and activists, and journalists. Police and other authorities must respect the right to freedom of expression and protest and to cease the repression and harassment of these individuals and communities.
On 5 September, a group of demonstrators from the Otomí community, including community organisations and networks, gathered peacefully to call for their land to be protected and for authorities to stop illegal land grabs. The protests took place against the backdrop of judicial reforms being considered by Mexico’s Senate, a set of controversial measures that rights activists say will put democracy at risk. On 10 September, the ruling party appeared to have secured enough votes to implement the changes, with a small group of protesters rushing into the Senate chambers to disrupt the process.
At approximately 13:50 on 5 September, a group of people carrying sticks, knives and firearms arrived at the demonstration and assaulted protesters. Security forces from both the Xochimilco municipality and the Mexico City Secretariat for Citizen Security (SSC) soon arrived in the area. According to testimonies shared with the coalition of organisations, police and security forces not only failed to protect protesters from the attacks, they also physically assaulted the protesters.
Police officers then arbitrarily detained human rights defenders Jorge Manuel Cancino García, Uriel García Rosas, Anselma Margarita Francisco, and Roberto Rodríguez Contreras, as well as Penélope Estefanía Galicia Argumedo, a journalist from Radio Zapote. The activists and the journalist were held incommunicado and their whereabouts were unknown for approximately five hours, until finally other demonstrators and accompanying organisations identified they had been transferred to the Territorial Coordination Tlalpan 3 of the Mexico City Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de Justicia de la Ciudad de México, FGJCDMX).
Family members of the detained and fellow activists went to the FGJCDMX headquarters, demanding the release of the detainees. Members of the SSC arrived and used violence, excessive force, tear gas and hazardous chemicals against them, as well as against journalists and human rights defenders documenting the events. A further 12 people were detained.
Jorge Manuel, Uriel, Anselma, Roberto, and Estefanía were released at approximately 23:45 following pressure from fellow land protection activists, members of the Otomí community, journalists’ groups, and civil society organisations. Instead of investigating the violence committed against the protesters, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation against the five for causing injury, rioting, and disturbing public order.
The undersigned organisations will continue documenting the facts, which include authorities’ use of physical violence, gender violence, threats, robbery and other abuses against five other journalists and at least four other defenders. It is our aim to publicly present a report with the findings in the coming days, supported by and in support of the victims.
The undersigned organisations:
- Strongly condemn the criminalisation of the right to integrity, protest and free association, and freedom of expression. We condemn authorities’ abuse of their power, in particular abuse carried out by public officials from the Xochimilco Mayor’s Office, the SSC and the FGJCDMX.
- Demand that the FGJCDMX determine the reasons behind the cases initiated against Hortensia Telésforo, Jorge Manuel Cancino García, Uriel García Rosas, Anselma Margarita Francisco, Roberto Rodríguez Contreras, and Penélope Estefanía Galicia Argumedo.
- Demand that the Internal Affairs bodies of the SSC and the FGJCDMX, as well as the Human Rights Commission of Mexico City (CDHCM), coordinate and expedite thorough investigations into the actions of the authorities who participated in the aforementioned events in order to hold those responsible to account, including those in chains of command, and obtain justice and full reparation for the victims.
Signed:
Front for Freedom of Expression and Social Protest (FLEPS):
ARTICLE 19 Office for Mexico and Central America
Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez Human Rights Centre (Centro Prodh)
Centre for Justice for Peace and Development, A.C. (CEPAD)
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Civic Proposal
Red Nacional de Organismos Civiles de Derechos Humanos ‘Todos los Derechos para Todas, Todos y Todes’ – Red TDT (National Network of Civil Human Rights Organisations ‘All Rights for All, Everyone and Everything’ – Red TDT)
Services and Advice for Peace A.C. (Serapaz)