Mexico City, Saturday June 3rd, 2006

Press release no. 6 of the International Civil Commission on Human Rights Observation in Mexico.

In our fifth day of work, the International Civil Commission on Human Rights Observation in Mexico was able to enter the prison Santiaguito and interview 28 detainees (men and women), collecting information about the health of the prisoners and affirming the lack of medical attention as well as their energy and resisitance. The group of the CCIODH was made up of a female lawyer, a female doctor, a male psychiatrist and a male photographer and they were able to speak with the General Director of Prevention and Social Reapdatation of the State of Mexico, Mr. Alejandro Carmona.

The psychiatrist and the doctor of the CCIODH examined those whose showed psicological affects and suffered injuries. We verify that none require hospitalization and we affirm that one of them (Arnulfo Pacheco, the paraplegic elder man accused of kidnapping 8 police officers) is in the prison’s clinic.

The women who were interviewed denounced sexual abuse. There are absolutely contradictory versions as to what the National Commission of Human Rights presented to us, above all about the attention they recieved. It seems clear, for instance, in the case of sexual abuse against the women- that they can’t be attended to by a man and less by doctors who are not specialized in sexual abuse. The women explained that the 1st of June, three weeks after the rapes, was the first time they were examined by a gynocologist, who diagnosed severe infections.

On the margin of the visit to the prison Santiaguito, among other activities of the CCIODH, was the interview with the Delegado Zero, Subcomandante Marcos, who came to the CCIODH office at 3 in the afternoon. In front of the commissioners the spokesperson of the Other Campaign told us that “your work will begin on Sunday, when you return to your countries.”

The Delegado Zero, after presenting the “seven crimes” that have been comitted in Mexico regarding the events of Atenco and Texcoco, he called to condemn, to “continue with the word to avoid the last crime: oblivion.” “This -he added- is the duty of every honest person in the world.”

In the evening we were able to have a phone interview with the Spanish embassy in Mexico who gave his testimony about the deportation of María Sostres and Cristina Valls, spanish citizens.

Today, the 3rd of June, we are dedicating to writing the pre-report, developing our conclusions and recommendations, that the CCIODH will make public tomorrow, in the final press conference at 12pm on the 4th of June in the Auditorium of the Autonomous Univerity of Mexico City, on the street Fray Servando Teresa de Mier 99, second floor, Colonia Centro.

International Civil Commission for Human Rights Observation, Mexico

Address: Fray Servando Teresa de Mier 92, second floor (in the Autonomous University of Mexico City)
May 29th June 4th (9AM-9PM)

Telephone (0052) 55785563
Mobile (0052) 044 55 32758122
E-mail: cciodh@pangea.org
Website www.cciodh.pangea.org