Mexico City, 29th of May, 2006

The 4th International Civil Commission for Human Rights Observation, summoned urgently in response to the vast impact of the events of Atenco and Texcoco on the 3rd and 4th of May of 2006, begins its work today.

The death of 14 year old Francisco Javier Cortes Santiago, the detention of more than 300 people who have suffered sexual abuse and rape, the deportation of 5 foreigners (two Catalans, one German, and two Chileans), the cerebral death of Alexis Benumea, economics student in the UNAM, has provoked huge concern in international civil society that culminated in the summoning of this Commission for Human Rights Observation which is endorsed by more than one thousand signatures of 29 countries, among them civil organizations, political organizations, unions, associations, committees, and cultural figures from around the world.

The Commission, which will be working in Mexico from today until the 4th of June, includes 28 people from 7 countries (Austria, Canada, Denmark, Spain, United States, France, and Italy); among whom there are lawyers specializing in human rights, academic researchers, specialists in women's rights, experts in conflict resolution, doctors and psychiatrists, union and political party representatives, social organizations and international cooperation organizations. In all 14 men and 14 women.

The Commission has set up its office this morning at the address Fray Servando Teresa de Mier 92 (in a space that the Autonomous University of Mexico City has kindly granted us). Here we will be available to collect testimonies of everyone who wishes to give documentation or information about the events. For this reason we invite especially the people affected to contact us or send us materials that could be relevant to our investigation. This call extends to everyone who may present important information, in particular to those who work in the media.

The Commission has solicited interviews with the Secretary of the Government, the National Commission of Human Rights, the National Immigration Institute, the Department of Justice of Mexico, the Governor of the State of Mexico, the Mayor of Texcoco, the Secretary of Public Security of the Federal Government, the Federal Prevention Police, and the National Council of Public Security, as well as the State Agency of Public Security of the State of Mexico. Regarding the case of the deported Spanish citizens, we have solicited interviews with the Embassies in Germany, Chile, and Spain and with the European Union delegation in Mexico. We await the confirmation of these institutions and expect the best outcome especially after the Mexican Government recognized the importance of our presence and granted special visas for Human Rights Observation to all the members of the Commission.

We also have the objective of visiting the prisons of Santiaguito and Almoloya de Juárez where people are still detained for the events in Atenco. We await the response of the directors of both prisons to whom we have sent our request for interviews and entrance to take down the testimonies of the prisoners.

The Commission will also visit the town of Atenco.

We have confirmed interviews with civil human rights organizations like the Mexican Network "All Rights for All" as well as social organizations like The People's Front in Defense of the Land (FPDT) and the Other campaign.

In ten days from now, we will compile a preliminary report that will draw together the conclusions and recommendations of the CCIODH and that we will hand in to the organizations that have endorsed as well as the European Parliament, the Catalan Parliament and Government, the Italian Parliament, and the Commission of Human Rights of the United Nations, among others.

The full report will be ready by September of 2006.

We thank the positive response to our request of behalf of the institutions and organizations, especially the people affected by the grave events in Atenco. Without their testimony our work would not be possible. Our objective is that they help us to find the truth so that justice can be done.

International Civil Commission for Human Rights Observation
Fray Servando Teresa de Mier 92, second floor (in the Autonomous University of Mexico City) 29th of May - 4th of June (from 9 in the morning to 9 at night)

Telephone (0052) 55785563
Cellular 044 55 32758122
Email: cciodh@pangea.org
Website: www.cciodh.pangea.org