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Mexican Judge Rules Against Environmentalists Sierra Club and Amnesty International pledge to intensify international Campaign The Sierra Club and Amnesty International today expressed deep disappointment over an appeals court judge's ruling against two Mexican campesino environmentalists, calling it a severe blow to human rights and environmental protection in Mexico. The two groups called on President-elect Vicente Fox to release the two men immediately after taking office."This ruling against Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera sets a dangerous precedent against environmental activists in Mexico," said Alejandro Queral, the Sierra Club's Human Rights and the Environment program director. "We have serious questions about the impartiality of the judicial system in Mexico since the judge did not accept new evidence supporting the allegations of torture produced by an independent team of doctors." According to Mexican law, both the prosecution and the defense are allowed to present new evidence during the appeals process. On May 2, 1999, Montiel and Cabrera were arrested by the Mexican army. The men were subsequently beaten, tortured and forced to confess to trumped up charges of planting marijuana and possession of illegal weapons. On August 28, 2000, Montiel and Cabrera were convicted and sentenced to six-year and ten-year jail terms respectively. The Sierra Club and Amnesty International believe that the arrest and conviction of the two environmentalists stem solely from their efforts to stop the rampant logging in the southern state of Guerrero, Mexico. "Amnesty International condemns this ruling against Montiel and Cabrera, both declared Prisoners of Conscience by Amnesty International," said Diego Zavala of Amnesty International. "The Mexican authorities send a chilling message to other environmental activists by continuing to demonstrate complete disregard for the human rights of these two men." "The arrest, torture and conviction of Montiel and Cabrera are clearly linked to their efforts to protect the forests in Guerrero. Human rights and environmental citizen groups in Mexico are deeply troubled by the government's role in the persecution of environmental defenders," said Queral. Amnesty International and the Sierra Club believe this case will be a litmus test for President-elect Vicente Fox. "The new administration will have an opportunity to show the people of Mexico that it will uphold its commitment to human rights and environmental protection by immediately releasing Montiel and Cabrera when he takes office," said Zavala. Montiel, one of the founding members of the Organization of Campesino Environmentalists of the Sierra de Petatlán and Coyuca de Catalán, was a recipient of this year's Goldman Environmental Prize for his efforts to organize farmers to oppose the rampant and possibly illegal logging in the mountains in Guerrero, Mexico. On May 2, 1999, members of the 40th Infantry Battalion of the Mexican Army arrested Montiel and Cabrera. During the raid, the soldiers shot and killed Salomé Sanchez Ortiz, a local farmer. On July 14, Mexico's National Commission on Human Rights, a governmental organization, acknowledged that Montiel and Cabrera had been illegally detained and tortured by members of the Mexican Army. The report also rejected the allegation that the two men were carrying weapons at the time of their arrest. Forensic doctors working for the Danish section of Physicians for Human Rights confirmed the torture after examining Montiel and Cabrera, and concluded that the physical signs and symptoms coincide conclusively with the timing and methods of torture previously described by the two activists. Their findings were not accepted by the appeals judge in this last round of the process. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
