Thirty-year-old Miriam Lopez, a Mexican housewife and mother of four children, was tortured and raped by soldiers in 2011. Two men in civilian clothes, who were later identified as members of the military, arrested her in February 2011 in her hometown of Ensenada and dragged her to the military barracks in Tijuana. There, she was held and interrogated for seven days. During this period, members of the army raped her three times, applied electric shocks and subjected her to near asphyxiation and stress positions. Soldiers also threatened to cut her hand and showed her recent pictures of her children and partner, taken covertly on the streets. The perpetrators told her that they “would go for them” if she didn’t cooperate with them.
Army personnel tortured Miriam López in order to coerce her into signing a self-incriminating confession which falsely implicated her in drug trafficking offences. It also implicated other detainees, unknown to Miriam López, in the same crimes. A state appointed public defender was present during parts of interrogation but failed to take any action to protect her rights or stop her ill-treatment.
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Proper investigation into the torture of Miriam Lopez
Punishment for the originators of these acts and those responsible for them
Dear Attorney General:
Allow me to turn to you on behalf of Amnesty International Czech Republic and express my deep concern over the case of Miriam López, who was held for a week in military barracks and subjected to torture and sexual abuse by Mexican soldiers in attempt to obtain a forced confession to a crime in 2011.
Amnesty International considers torture, as well as any other kind of ill-treatment directed at forcing someone to confess to criminal actions a gross violation of human rights.
In the light of the above described, I respectfully urge you, Mr Attorney General, to ensure that:
• A due and independent investigation be conducted regarding the torture and sexual abuse directed at Miriam López
• those responsible for the respective actions are brought before justice and face a fair trial
In the spirit of respect for the basic values of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity, I call on you, Mr Attorney General, to uphold human rights not only in the case of Miriam López mentioned in this letter, but also all the other unjustly imprisoned or tortured in Mexico.
Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
Yours sincerely
