Mexican Government plans to take legal actions against activists and citizens for lodged complaint at The Hague
On Friday, November 25th a group of activists lodged a war-crime and crime against humanity complaint against President Felipe Calderon, top government officials and the most wanted drug lord, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman at the International Criminal Court.
The complaint has been backed by more then 23.000 citizens who signed a petition.
According to the Mexican lawyer on Human Rights who filed the complaint at The Hague, Netzai Sandoval, told reporters that, Calderon’s offensive to crackdown the drug cartels had involved 470 cases of human right violations committed by the army and police.
The complaint also points out, that the Mexican president has systematically allowed troops to kill, kidnap and torture citizens.
The Mexican government has denied all the accusations in a press release on Sunday evening.
“The Mexican government categorically rejects the false accusations lodged by a group of persons at the International Criminal Court.”
“It is absurd to attempt to equate what a democratic government does to preserve the law and defend families from criminals with the crimes against humanity committed by authoritarian states in order to exterminate a population for ethnic, religious or political reasons. This is not the case of Mexico, which has a vibrant democracy, with balanced, independent branches of government, autonomous human rights institutions and a system of freedoms and guarantees and respect for human rights shared by very few developing countries”.
“The accusations against the Mexican government are groundless and unfounded, as noted by experts on the issue. However, they constitute slander and rash accusations that not only damage persons and institutions but also seriously affect Mexico’s good name”.
“The Mexican government is therefore exploring every possible means of taking legal action against those who have made these accusations at national and international forums”.
Read full press release in English
The reactions were swift on twitter to condemn what they consider an authoritarian reaction and a threat from the Mexican Government.
John M Ackerman a Law professor of Mexico’s National Autonomous University (UNAM) columnist and commentator of several media outlets and one of the promoters of the complaint tweeted the following:
@JohnMAckerman If @FelipeCalderon is so sure of his innocence he should defend himself in court and not threat the victims. No harm, no foul.
@OccupyTelevisa We reject the threat and provocation of Calderon against the Mexicans who initiated #calderontrail at the ICC in The Hague
@Bucaner0 If Calderon uses the force of the State vs those who denounce him for crime against humanity, his only reaffirming his guiltiness
@cabuchita I also support #calderontrial, damn it, I’m one of the over 23 thousands that the deceitful (Calderon) is threatening, plus the ones that joins.
Recently Human Right Watch presented a 214-pages report “Neither Rights Nor Security: Killings, Disappearance in Mexico’s ‘War on Drugs’”, that contains strong supporting evidence that suggests the participation of security forces in more then 170 cases of torture, 39 force disappearances, 24 extrajudicial killings.
With the complaint now in the hands of the International Criminal Court, the Mexican Lawyer on Human Right, Netzai Sandoval and the complainants now have to wait for the court to decide if the complaint proceeds and if there is any crime to persecute, and if the president or any top government officials are held responsible.
Meanwhile the Mexican governments decides how they will proceed, twitter users and promoters of the complaint are calling to demonstrate in front of the General Attorney’s Office, this coming Tuesday at 16 hrs local time, to condemn President Calderon’s threats.
crime against humanity, drug war, Felipe Calderon, Human Right Watch, International Criminal Court, Mexico, Netzai Sandoval, war crime
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