[ Jaime Domínguez Pérez ]
On September 2nd, 2013 in the town of Cuautla, engineers working on the water pipeline agreed to a work strike at the request of the population, until the people meet with the company and public officials to address the damage caused by the ‘Acueducto’ water pipeline to the town’s water pipes, drainage and light supply. On September 3rd, there was a meeting at 8pm with the Secretary of Government of Cuautla, Juan Gerardo Velázquez de la Torre and neighbors of the town who want to end the pipeline work because of its affects to the area.
On September 12th, an agreement was signed between the inhabitants of Cuautla and the Secretary of Government of Cuautla, Juan Gerardo Velázquez, where they agreed to not work in the area with machinery until it was certain that there would be no chance of risk to the community.
Yesterday [September 18] the people of the community watched machines enter the area under the custody of three patrols of the state preventative police. In response, today September 19th, fifty people from Cuautla, Apatlaco, Las Piedras, Temexpepango, Huexca and Jantetelco halted the pipeline work for two hours as they attempted to get the authorities to explain the resumption of the work.
ARBITRARY ARREST AND IMPROPER USE OF FORCE BY THE STATE OF MORELOS PREVENTIVE POLICE.
At 12:00 noon, in the town of Gabriel Tepepa, Cuautla, Morelos, Mexico, while expecting a government representative to discuss the construction of the work and compliance with the previous agreement, instead of the arrival of expected officials, entered fifty elements of the “single command” state police with navy uniforms, batons, helmets and protective gear, in approximately eight state police patrols, and 8 white vans with state government symbols and “single command” state preventive police with around 70 members of the police force.
Police guarded Xochipili Street and took instructions from a woman dressed in black pants and a white blouse, intent on retracting people from the area. The actions taken by the police were seen by members of our organization and the Center for Social and Cultural Studies – Antonio de Montesinos, who witnessed the arrest of JAIME DOMÍNGUEZ PÉREZ, 51 years of age, Human Rights Defender of Jantetelco, who was separated from the rest of the people.
This is according to information from a human rights defender of our organization. After being separated he was arrested and taken to the premises of the State of Morelos Preventive Police. Furthermore, two people peacefully demonstrating were attacked with clubs by police for no reason as the authority ignored the basic principles on the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials, in charge of fulfilling the 1990 UN Law.
Therefore we ask:
1. Fulfill the rights of human rights defenders outlined in the Declaration of Human Rights Defenders, UN, 2000.
2. Comply with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in particular Article 9 and 10 as it pertains to the rights of detained persons to know about the crimes alleged against them, to be immediately publicly reported and protect their physical and psychological integrity, as well as their right to life.
In the case of C. JAIME DOMÍNGUEZ PÉREZ who was located in the offices of the Preventive Police Northeast area, Tetelcingo, Cuautla Highway – Mexico and, according to information from a defender who is posted at the State Attorney’s Office in Cuautla, he was to be delivered to that institution.
URGENT ACTION ISSUED BY:
Center for Social and Cultural Studies – Antonio de Montesinos, A.C.
Human Rights Center “Fray Francisco de Vitoria OP” A.C.
