Urgent Action

PUBLIC AI Index: AMR 41/057/2006
06 December 2006

Further Information on UA 323/06 (AMR 41/05/2006, 29 November 2006) Fear for safety/ Threats/ Arbitrary arrests New concern: Torture and ill-treatment

MEXICO Father Carlos Franco Pérez Méndez (m), Catholic priest
Alberto Tlacael Cilia Ocampo (m) [please note corrected name], human rights defender with the organization Yaxkin Human Rights Centre (Centro de Derechos Humanos Yaxkin)
Members of the organization Services for an Alternative Education (Servicios para una Educación Alternativa, EDUCA)
Other human rights defenders working in Oaxaca

New Names: Father Francisco Wilfrido Mayrén Peláez (m), priest and human rights defender with the organization “Bartolomé Carrasco Briseño” Human Rights Centre (Centro Regional de derechos humanos “Bartolomé Carrasco Briseño”)
Sara Mendez (f)
Sarah Weldon (f)
Omar Rodríguez Camarena (m)

Amnesty International has received further reports that individuals and organizations working to protect human rights in Oaxaca are still being threatened and intimidated.

According to reports, Father Francisco Wilfrido Mayrén Peláez, a Catholic priest and human rights defender with the organization "Bartolomé Carrasco Briseño“Human Rights Centre (Centro Regional de derechos humanos”Bartolomé Carrasco Briseño") has been intimidated and threatened on numerous occasions since 19 October, when he received an anonymous telephone call saying "te vamos a matar, te vamos a partir tu madre (…)“(”we are going to kill you, we are going to beat you up (…)"). Since then, various unidentified individuals, some of whom were reportedly state or municipal police officers in civilian clothes, have been asking about his whereabouts or carrying out surveillance around his church. Since 25 November, Father Francisco Wilfrido Mayrén Peláez has also been reportedly followed on a number of occasions by cars without licence plates. In addition, he was accused of being “el padre guerrillero” (the guerrilla priest) in a local pro-government newspaper, El Imparcial. The pro-government pirate radio station Radio Ciudadana has accused the priest of “subversion” and of protecting criminals.

Radio Ciudadana is apparently still broadcasting in the Oaxaca region and continuing to incite violence against human rights defenders and organization and individuals perceived as sympathetic to the opposition movement, the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (Asamblea Popular del Pueblo de Oaxaca, APPO). Amnesty International has received reports that Sara Mendez, who works with the Oaxacan Network for Human Rights (Red Oaxaqueña de Derechos Humanos) was among a group of human rights defenders and organizations accused of being part of APPO and of being “defensores de delicuentes” (defenders of criminals) on several occasions by Radio Ciudadana in late November.

Alberto Tlacael Cilia Ocampo (note corrected name), a university student documenting human rights violations for the Mexico City-based organization, Yaxkin Human Rights Centre (Centro de Derechos Humanos Yaxkin) is in detention in the state penitentiary of Ixcotel, Oaxaca. Two others arrested with him, Sarah Weldon and Omar Rodríguez Camarena, are also in detention. The three were reportedly arrested by state police officers on fabricated charges and were subjected to physical and mental torture. Alberto Tlacael Cilia Ocampo and Omar Rodríguez Camarena were able to speak to relatives only after three days in detention.