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New York City Council Votes Unanimously to Condemn Prison Sentences Against Mexican Environmentalists On July 26, the 51-member New York City Council unanimously passed a sharply worded resolution (resolution language below) condemning the continued detention of Mexican environmentalists, Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera, and urging the Mexican government to release them immediately and unconditionally. The Sierra Club and Amnesty International applaud the efforts of the New York City Council, particularly of Council member Kathryn Freed who sponsored the resolution. "New Yorkers have always valued their right to speak out about the issues that affect their community. This resolution demonstrates that they are equally concerned about the freedom and safety of grassroots leaders throughout the world," said Peter Kirn, a volunteer with the Sierra Club’s Human Rights and the Environment campaign in New York. "We are thankful for Council member Freed and the rest of the Council for the message they are sending." "In a time when New York City is becoming more closely connected to Mexico, via trade and through a rapidly growing Hispanic community, New York City's residents send a strong message to the Mexican government that human rights of environmental defenders are everyone's concern," said Patrick Kwan Regional Field Organizer for AIUSA's Just Earth! Program. The previous week, a judge denied the appeal of Montiel and Cabrera who were tortured into confessing to false charges and sentenced to 6 years, 8 months and 10 years respectively. This decision is a serious setback for the Mexican President Fox's administration which had repeatedly indicated support for the release of the environmentalists. Take Action: Will your city be the next to condemn the continued detention of the Mexican earth defenders? Text Of Resolution New York City Council Resolution 1809-A
Passed committee by 6-0 vote 7/26/2001 Passed full council unanimously 7/26/2001 (this text lacks cosponsoring City Council members, otherwise same as the resolution introduced by Council Member Freed to the City Council) Resolution commending Rodolfo Montiel, Teodoro Cabrera and other members of the Organization of Campesino Ecologists of the Sierra de Petatlán and Coyuca de Catalán for their courageous struggle to protect the forests of Mexico in the southern state of Guerrero, condemning the illegal arrest of Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera, condemning the violent actions of the 40th Infantry Battalion, and calling for the Attorney General of Mexico to investigate the actions of the individual soldiers involved as recommended by Mexico's National Commission for Human Rights of August 2000, and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera, and compensation by the Mexican government for their illegal arrest and detainment. By Council Members Freed, [other Council Members] Whereas, The activities of Rodolfo Montiel, Teodoro Cabrera and other members of the Organization of Campesino Ecologists of the Sierra de Petatlan and Coyuca de Catalan with regards to Logging in the State of Guerrero were peaceful and lawful; and Whereas, Said activities alerted Mexican authorities to take action against the illegal logging in the State of Guerrero according to Mexican law; and Whereas, International NGOs have reported a pattern of harassment of communities and environmental activists in the state of Guerrero; and, Whereas, On May 2, 1999, members of the 40th Infantry Battalion of the Mexican Army arrested Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera, shooting and killing Salomé Sanchez Ortiz, an innocent local farmer; and Whereas, Human rights investigators from groups including Amnesty International have reported that Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera were tortured and forced to sign blank sheets of paper later filled in with false confessions of marijuana planting and weapons possession; and Whereas, On July 14, 2000, Mexico's National Commission on Human Rights, a governmental agency, had acknowledged in a report that Montiel and Cabrera had been illegally detained and tortured by members of the Mexican Army, and in that report rejected the allegation that the two men were carrying weapons at the time of their arrest, as they were charged; and Whereas, On August 28, 2000, Montiel and Cabrera were convicted and sentenced to six year eight month and ten year jail terms respectively; and Whereas, On October 27, 2000 and on July 17, 2001 an appeals tribunal upheld that conviction; and Whereas, 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; and Whereas, On July 10, 2001 Amnesty International released the report "Mexico - Justice Betrayed: Torture in the Judicial System" finding that the Mexican military and police continue to commit widespread torture in spite of President Vicente Fox Quesada's highly publicized commitment in his inaugural speech to respect human rights and the rule of law; and Whereas, defense attorneys from the Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustin Pro, a human rights organization based in Mexico City, have raised allegations of irregularities in the judicial process of Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera's conviction, alleging Montiel's and Cabrera's constitutional rights were violated during their arrest and trial; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York commends Rodolfo Montiel, Teodoro Cabrera and other members of the "Organization of Campesino Ecologists of the Sierra de Petatlán and Coyuca de Catalán" for their courageous struggle to protect the forests of Mexico in the southern state of Guerrero, condemns the illegal arrest of Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera, condemns the violent actions of the 40th Infantry Battalion against members of the "Organization of Campesino Ecologists", and calls for the Attorney General of Mexico to investigate the actions of the individual soldiers involved as recommended by Mexico¹s National Commission for Human Rights of August 2000, and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera, and compensation by the Mexican government for their illegal arrest and detainment. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use |
