After 14 years of his arbitrary detention, international, Mexican and Oaxacan organizations demand the immediate release of forest human rights defender Pablo López Alavez
“The true motive for the detention and prosecution against Pablo López is his work as a human rights defender of his community”, international experts stated.
It is urgent that the Mexican State sends a clear signal of their commitment to the defence of human rights, indigenous peoples and the environment.
Today marks 14 years of the arbitrary detention of forest defenders Pablo López Alavez. On 15 August 2010, Pablo López was arbitrarily and violently deprived of his liberty when he was by the Virgen River in his community of San Isidro Aloapam, in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca. After 14 years of a process marked by irregularities, the case continues in the investigation stage and without a decision. It is urgent that the Mexican State puts an end to this dramatic situation and releases the forest human rights defender.
The landmark character of this case and the severity of the human rights violations committed have been conceded many times1 by United Nations experts. Different rapporteurs have released urgent appeals calling for the liberation of the human rights defender. Furthermore, 7 years ago, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention released the opinion 23/20172 that identified the detention as arbitrary and pointed out that “the real motive for detaining and trying Mr. López Alavéz is his work defending his community”.
The signing organizations have documented with deep concern the criminalization trend in the defence of human rights in Mexico, particularly in Oaxaca. It is even more concerning the long arbitrary detentions that cause a serious impact on the social structure, affecting not only the human rights defender but also their families, communities and the human rights defence processes. This adds to the high risk, forced displacement and impact on their physical, mental and community health.
Pablo López Alavez is the last indigenous defender beneficiary of the opinion by the UN Working Group still being unfairly deprived from his freedom in Mexico. It is urgent that the Mexican State sends a clear signal to comply with its commitment to the defence of human rights, indigenous peoples and environment.
We urge the Federal Government, in coordination with the Government of the State of Oaxaca, to develop an efficient and swift mechanism to guarantee the compliance of the opinion 23/2017 of the UN Working Group, so that it translates into the immediate release of Pablo López and the appropriate compensation for the damage caused.
Oaxaca, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Dublin, Geneva, Brussels, Barcelona, 15 August 2024
SINCERELY,
Centro de Derechos Indígenas Flor y Canto A.C., Oaxaca
Colectivo Mujer Nueva, Oaxaca
Comité de Defensa de los Pueblos Indígenas (CODEDI),
Consorcio para el Diálogo Parlamentario y la Equidad Oaxaca A.C., Oaxaca,
Espacio OSC, formed by 13 organisations in Mexico
Ecumenical Centre for Justice and peace, Munich, Germany
Servicios y Asesoría para la Paz, Serapaz, Mexico City
Servicios para una Educación Alternativa (EDUCA),
Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human Rights Center, San Cristobal, Chiapas,
Comité pour les Droits Hunains en Amérique Latine (CDHAL), Montréal, Quebec, Canada,
Front Line Defenders, Dublin, Ireland;
INTAL, Brussels, Belgium,
World Organisation Against Torture, Brussels, Belgium and Geneva, Switzerland,
Taula per Méxic, Barcelona, Spain
Unión Cívica de Barrios, Colonias y Comunidades, Pinotepa Nacional, Oaxaca
1 https://twitter.com/MaryLawlorhrds/status/1559097210524114944
2 Opinion 23/2017 United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Available in: https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g17/161/72/pdf/g1716172.pdf
