On the night of Sunday, September 28, activists holding a peaceful protest at the Campeche Congress were arbitrarily and violently attacked and detained by state police, the Network of Collectives and Feminists of the State of Campeche reported.
The events occurred when members of the Ley Sabina Campeche Cam Collective and the Campeche Collective for 40 Hours were demonstrating against the appointment of Juan Pedro Alcudia Vásquez—former state legal counsel—as a magistrate of the Superior Court of Justice, who is facing charges of political violence based on gender.
Faced with this situation, “the State’s response was repression: more than thirty police officers were sent to intimidate, harass, and detain three of our comrades,” the Network of Collectives detailed. This constitutes a violation of human rights and “demonstrates the lack of guarantees and political will to respect freedom of expression and the right to social protest.”
In videos released by the collectives themselves, state police are seen aggressively detaining people who were peacefully demonstrating, chanting slogans and carrying banners.
Campeche activists denounce police repression during peaceful protest against the appointment of a magistrate
(Photo: Facebook of Colectiva Ley Sabina Campeche Cam).
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According to the complaint, the detainees were not immediately brought before the Public Prosecutor’s Office. It was not until the State Human Rights Commission intervened that their whereabouts became known.
The Prosecutor’s Office determined that there was no legal cause or justification for their detention and released them. “But the damage had already been done: they were deprived of their liberty, criminalized, and exposed to harassment.”
Among the three activists attacked were Aremi Gasca, founder of the Sabina Campeche Cam Law Collective, and a pregnant woman; both received medical attention. Another activist remains hospitalized at the Specialty Hospital.
In light of these acts of repression, the collectives demanded that the Human Rights Commission urgently issue recommendations regarding the excessive use of police force and irregularities in the arrests; that full reparation for the damage be guaranteed; that freedom of expression and the right to protest be respected; and that both Congress and the Executive Branch promote a Law to Protect Human Rights Defenders and Journalists.
To date, the Campeche government, led by Morena member Layda Sansores—whose administration has been accused of acts of censorship—has not yet commented on the matter.
Source: es-us.noticias.yahoo
