CNDH DISCUSSES ITS RECOMMENDATIONS TO SEDENA

UNCLAS MEXICO 005529 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM KFRD KWMN MX PHUM PREF PREL SMIG SUBJECT: CNDH DISCUSSES ITS RECOMMENDATIONS TO SEDENA ¶1. On October 18, Poloff met with Dr. Javier Moctezuma Barragan, Executive Secretary in The National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) to discuss the organization's recommendations to Mexico's National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA) and what steps SEDENA is taking to prevent human rights abuses from military personnel. During the meeting Moctezuma highlighted CNDH's biggest priorities and proposed measures to ensure that the military does not commit additional abuses. -------------- CNDH'S TOP PRIORITY -------------- ¶2. Dr. Moctezuma stressed that CNDH's biggest concern this year is the militarization of law enforcement and potential human rights abuses committed by the military. He noted the legally binding nature of CNDH recommendations: the government agency that is the object of one and formally accepts it is bound by law to investigate, and prosecute those who are guilty of the cited abuses. However, when an agency rejects a recommendation, the Supreme Court can decide to take the case; most agencies do not want the case to go to the Supreme Court, so they accept CNDH's recommendations. ¶3. Moctezuma confided that the case of Ernestina Ascencio Rosario, a 73 year-old indigenous woman in Veracruz allegedly raped and killed by Mexican soldiers in February. After investigating, CNDH concluded she had died of natural causes, but took criticism for the way it had handled the case. Moctezuma said the criticism of the organization's performance prompted CNDH to launch a broader investigation of military abuses associated with the counter-drug deployment and lead to the recommendations it issued on September 21, 2007 related to military's actions in Michoacan, Sinaloa this year, as well as a mass rape by soldiers stationed in Coahuila during the 2006 presidential election. -------------- NEXT STEPS FOR SEDENA -------------- ¶4. Since SEDENA accepted all four of CNDH's recommendations on October 16, Moctezuma says that it is responsible for implementing them by investigating and prosecuting individuals involved in each case. CNDH will monitor SEDENA's follow up until all of the recommendations have been addressed. Moctezuma said SEDENA has begun investigating the cases and he expects that they will find the guilty parties within the next six months. Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / BASSETT