Sentence revoked and acquittal in favour of land and human rights defender David Hernández Salazar, member of the Assembly of Indigenous Peoples of the Isthmus in Defence of Land and Territory (APIIDTT)
On 14 May 2024, a federal judge revoked the sentence imposed against land and human rights defender David Hernández Salazar, member of the Assembly of Indigenous Peoples of the Isthmus in Defence of Land and Territory (APIIDTT). The defender, now acquitted, was facing 46 years of imprisonment for peacefully protesting against the installation of the “Polo de Desarrollo” in San Blas on their common lands El Pitayal, as part of the Inter-Oceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT) project.
On 7 February 2024, the Judge of Control of Salinas Cruz had sentenced the defender to 46 years and 6 months imprisonment, a fine of $182,818 (one hundred eighty-two thousand eight hundred eighteen pesos), and the payment of $1,100,015 (one million one hundred thousand fifteen pesos) in damages for the crimes of damages caused by fire and malicious injury. This was allegedly committed at the municipality of San Blas while the defender was on his way to the community radio station Didxazza Stipa of San Blas Atempa, to report acts of harassment he has been a target of in the previous days due to his work defending the right to the territory of El Pitayal.
In addition to the sentenced being revoked, the judge also decided to not continue criminal proceedings against the 17 members of the Binniza Indigenous Community of Puente Madera, who had arrest warrants against them as part of the same legal case.
Irrespective of the above, the APIIDTT reports that the community of Puente Madera is still facing tensions due to the defence of their territory from the threats of State agents and criminal groups, which derived from the collective decision to withdraw from the federal action of amparo against the “Polo de Desarrollo”. In 2023, the community had achieved the immediate suspension of that project.
Front Line Defenders and the Red Nacional de Organismos Civiles de Derechos Humanos “Todos los Derechos para Todas, Todos y Todes” (Red TDT) celebrates the acquittal of human rights defender David Salazar Hernández, as well as the decision to not continue the criminal proceedings against the 17 members of the Binniza Indigenous Community of Puente Madera, as they believe it had the intention to intimidate and limit their human rights work in El Pitayal. However, both organizations also express their concern over the current tensions between the Binniza Indigenous Community of Puente Madera and the State and criminal groups, who are still restricting their work in defending of their land.
