Summary: Human Rights Groups call on the ICC to investigate torture and enforced disappearance in Mexico

15th September 2014: SRT grantees FIDH and the Mexican Commission for the Defence and Promotion of Human Rights (CMDPDH), along with another Mexican NGO, have today presented a report to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court describing torture, imprisonment and enforced disappearances carried out by the armed forces and state security forces in Baja California, Mexico, between 2006 and 2012.

In 2006, as part of then-Mexican President Felipe Calderón’s strategy in the “War on Drugs”, the military were granted unrestricted policing powers. The new report claims that military forces arrested civilians in their homes without a legal warrant, subjected them to acts of torture in military facilities, forced them to sign blank sheets of paper for false confessions, and placed drugs and arms in their possession as “evidence”. No high-ranking military or police officials have faced criminal charges for crimes committed against civilians, including acts of torture.

This is the second report presented to the ICC Office of the Prosecutor by FIDH and CMDPDH on crimes against humanity committed in Mexico as part of the so-called “War on Drugs”. The organisations believe there is sufficient evidence to indicate that crimes falling under ICC jurisdiction were committed in Mexico, but there has yet to be an investigation or prosecution for any of these crimes. They have therefore requested that a preliminary examination be conducted as laid down in Article 15 of the ICC Statute. This will determine whether or not an investigation is warranted.

Paulina Vega, Vice President of FIDH and a member of CMDPDH’s Board, said, “Given the lack of response on the part of the Mexican authorities to the victims’ clamour for justice, there is no other remedy than the ICC to ensure that the grave crimes committed in Mexico are not left unpunished”.

Full story from FIDH’s website: http://www.fidh.org/en/americas/mexico/16028-human-rights-groups-call-on-the-icc-to-proceed-with-the-preliminary