Mexican court orders release of Oaxaca “disappeared”

A Mexican federal court in Oaxaca has ordered President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, Gov. Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, the National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA), the Prosecutor General of the Republic (PGR) and other government entities to present alive Edmundo Reyes Amaya, one of the apparent followers of the Popular Revolutionary Army (EPR) who have been “disappeared” since May 25. The order came in a case brought by the Mexican League for the Defense of Human Rights (LIMEDDH) on behalf of Reyes Amaya’s family. (La Jornada, Sept. 25)

A group of Mexican NGOs including the Miguel Agustín Pro-Juárez Human Rights Center has released a statement in support of the declared position of the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) that “it is the obligation of the state to present the two disappeared,” Reyes Amaya and Gabriel Cruz. Mexican national security expert Erubiel Tirado said the EZLN should exercise “much caution” with expressions of support for the EPR’s demands, because these could be interpreted as expressions of support for armed struggle and the EPR’s methods. He said this could cause the government to identify the EZLN among the “radical” armed groups it is combatting. (La Jornada, Sept. 26)

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