Mexico – Arrest of Human Rights Defender

On 22 February 2012, human rights defender Ms Lucila Bettina Cruz Velázquez was arrested by agents of the Attorney General's office of Oaxaca before being released on bail in the early hours of the morning of 24 February. Lucila Bettina Cruz Velázquez is well known for her fight in defence of land rights and she is the co-founder of the Asamblea de los Pueblos Indígenas del Istmo de Tehuantepec en Defensa de la Tierra y el Territorio (Assembly of Indigenous peoples of Istmo de Tehuantepec in Defence of Land and Territory), which works in promoting and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples. The Human Rights Ombudsman of the State of Oaxaca granted protection measures in her favour on 14 November 2011.

On 22 February 2012, at approximately 3:30 pm, Lucila Bettina Cruz Velázquez was arrested by officials of the Attorney General's office in the municipality of Santa Maríá Xadani, Istmo de Tehuantepec in Oaxaca. At the time of her arrest she was with lawyer Ms Maribel González Pedro, who is also a member of the Assembly, as they were leaving a meeting with the Comisión Federal de Electricidad – CFE (Federal Electricity Commission). The police officials reportedly did not have an arrest warrant nor did they inform her of the reason for her arrest. She was held incommunicado for four hours before being taken to Tehuantepec prison to face charges of illegally detaining CFE staff. On 23 February Lucila Bettina Cruz Velázquez appeared before a judge who ordered her release on bail. She was not, however, released until after midnight.

It is not the first time that members of the Assembly have been arrested by police officials. On 12 April 2011, Mr Filiberto Vicente Aquino, member of the Assembly and leader of the campaign against the imposition of high electrical tariffs by the CFE, was arrested in Xadani and transferred to the offices of the Attorney General. He was falsely accused of stealing electricity before being released the next day due to public pressure.

The arrest of Lucila Bettina Cruz Velázquez comes in the context of an increase in the criminalisation of human rights defenders and the absence of adequate protection measures afforded to those working on human rights issues and in particular land rights issues in Mexico. Front Line Defenders believes that the arrest of Lucila Bettina Cruz Velázquez is directly related to her human rights work in defence of the rights of indigenous peoples.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Mexico to:

1. Drop all charges against human rights defender Lucila Bettina Cruz Velázquez as Front Line Defenders believes that her arrest is related to her peaceful human rights work;
2. Carry out an exhaustive and immediate investigation into the conditions of the arrest of Lucila Bettina Cruz Velázquez, with a view to verifying that her rights were not infringed, in accordance with international standards;
3. Guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Lucila Bettina Cruz Velázquez and the other members of the Assembly of Indigenous peoples of Istmo de Tehuantepec in Defence of Land and Territory;
4. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Mexico are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.

Front Line Defenders

ENDS

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