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Le 7 mai 2009, Jaime Lopez Vela , avocat et directeur de
l’organisation Agenda LGBT qui travaille afin
de promouvoir et protéger les droits de la communauté LGBT (Lesbiennes,
Gays, Bi-sexuels, Transgenre et personnes inter-sexe) à Mexico, s'est rendu en compagnie de Agustín
Estrada Negrete, un membre de
cette organisation dans les bureaux du Gouvernement de l’Etat de Mexico à
Toluca, pour une rencontre prévue avec le Secrétaire général adjoint de
l’Etat de Mexico, Luis Felipe Puente.
La rencontre visait à régler un problème concernant le refus de
réintégrer Agustín Estrada Negrete à son poste de directeur d’une école
pour enfants handicapés. Agustín Estrada Negrete avait été contraint de
démissionner de ce poste en 2007, pour un période d’un an, à cause de
fausses accusations contre lui. Ces accusations prétendaient qu’il
s’était rendu à l’école habillé en femme. Plusieurs parents d’enfants
inscrits dans cette école les ont accompagnés jusqu’au bureau du
Gouvernement, afin de soutenir la réintégration d’Agustín Estrada
Negrete. Lorsqu’ils sont arrivés sur les lieux, un fonctionnaire,
Humberto Rodríguez Suárez, a déclaré que les parents ne pouvaient pas
entrer. Jaime Lopez Vela a demandé à ce que les parents puissent assister
à la rencontre car ils sont directement concernés par la décision de ne
pas réintégrer Agustín Estrada Negrete. Sa demande a été refusée.
Le groupe s’apprêtait à manifester devant le bâtiment lorsque Humberto
Rodríguez Suárez a ordonné a une patrouille de police, qui se trouvait
devant le bâtiment, d’arrêter Jaime Lopez Vela. L’avocat a été poussé
dans un van de la police où a été battu. Les policiers lui ont dit :
« el Gobernador Peña Nieto no quiere maricones en el Estado de
México » (le gouverneur ne veut pas de pédé dans l’Etat de Mexico).
Il a été conduit au poste de police, remis dans le van et enfin conduit
dans un bureau du Ministère de la Justice. Il a été placé en état
d’arrestation pour obstruction à la circulation. Agustín Estrada Negrete
a lui aussi été arrêté et conduit au Ministère de la Justice dans une
ambulance. Il a été agressé physiquement lors de son transfert. Les
défenseurs des droits humains ont été emmenés au sous-sol du ministère et
ils ont à nouveau été agressés physiquement et verbalement. Les
agresseurs ont répété « Nuestro Gobernador Peña Nieto no quiere
maricones, tratados de putitos y jotos » (Notre gouverneur Peña
Nieto ne veut pas de pédé). Agustín Estrada Negrete a aussi été inculpé
pour obstruction à la circulation.
Jaime Lopez Vela a été libéré sous caution le lendemain, le 8 mai
2009. A ce moment-là, l’avocat a été informé que Agustín Estrada Negrete
comparaîtrait devant la Cour d’Ecatepec, pour l’affaire de sa réintégration
toujours en suspens et qu’ensuite, il serait libéré sous caution.
Cependant, Agustín Estrada Negrete a été passé à tabac et conduit à la
prison d’Almoloya. Ces agresseurs ont encore dit « El Gobernador del
Estado México no te quiere por maricon, te vamos a desaparecer » (le
gouverneur de l’Etat de Mexico n’aime pas les pédés, on va te faire
disparaitre). En arrivant à Almoloya, il a de nouveau été agressé
verbalement et physiquement, mais il a également été agressé sexuellement
par des hommes qui avaient le visage caché afin de ne pas être
identifiés. Il a été libéré le 9 mai 2009.
Les deux défenseurs des droits humains ont rapporté ces incidents
et ont appelé la Commission Nationale des Droits de l’Homme, le Consejo
Para Prevenir la Discriminación, CONAPRED (Conseil pour la prévention de
la discrimination), le Ministre de l’Education et le Ministre de la
Santé, entre autres, à agir contre ces violations des droits humains.
Toutefois, la plainte pour agression sexuelle n’a pas été acceptée par
les autorités et les deux défenseurs des droits humains ont été avertis
qu’ils ne devaient pas maintenir cette plainte s’ils voulaient rester en
vie. Aucune date n’a été décidée pour l’audience de Jaime Lopez Vela
alors que Agustín Estrada Negrete a comparu pour le première fois le 20
mai 2009, au sujet de cette affaire.
APPELS À :
Ministre de l’Intérieur :
Lic. Fernando Francisco Gómez-Mont Urueta
Secretaría de Gobernación
Bucareli 99, 1er. piso,
Col. Juárez, Del. Cuauhtémoc,
México D.F., C.P.06600,
Mexique
Fax : +52 55 5093 3414
Courriers électroniques : secretario@segob.gob.mx
Formule d’appel : Señor Secretario, / Monsieur le Ministre,
LETTRE:
Your Excellency
I am deeply concerned following reports that human rights
defenders, Mr Jaime Lopez Vela and Mr Agustín Estrada Negrete, were
arrested and physically assaulted by police in the State of Mexico on 7
May 2009, and that Agustín Estrada Negrete was also sexually assaulted.
Jaime Lopez Vela is a human rights lawyer and the director of the human
rights organisation Agenda LGBT and Agustín Estrada Negrete is a member
of the same organisation. Agenda LGBT works to promote and protect the
rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and inter-sex people in
Mexico.
On 7 May 2009, Jaime Lopez Vela and Agustín Estrada
Negrete went to the offices of the Government of the State of Mexico in
Toluca, Mexico, for a scheduled meeting with the Deputy Secretary General
of State, Luis Felipe Puente, to resolve an issue related to the refusal
to reinstate Agustín Estrada Negrete to the position of director of a
local school for disabled children.
Agustín Estrada Negrete was originally forced to step down
from the position in 2007, for a period of one year, due to false
allegations against him that he had gone to the school dressed as a
woman. Several parents of children who attended the school accompanied
them to the state government buildings to support the call for Agustín
Estrada Negrete's reinstatement. On arrival at the government buildings,
they were informed by the civil servant who met them, Humberto Rodríguez
Suárez, that the parents could not enter. Jaime Lopez Vela requested that
the parents be allowed to participate in the proceedings as they are
directly affected by the decision not to reinstate Agustín Estrada Negrete,
however this request was refused.
The group was just preparing to stage a protest in front
of the building when Humberto Rodríguez Suárez ordered police on patrol
outside the buildings to arrest Jaime Lopez Vela. The human rights lawyer
was forced into a police van where he was beaten. The police officers
told him that “el Gobernador Peña Nieto no quiere maricones en el Estado
de México” (Governor Peña Nieto doesn't want faggots in the state of
Mexico). He was then taken to a police station, put back in the police
van and finally brought to the office of the Ministry of Justice, where
he was informed that he was under arrest for the obstruction of traffic.
Agustín Estrada Negrete was also arrested and driven to
the Ministry of Justice in an ambulance. He was physically assaulted
throughout the journey. The human rights defenders were driven to the
basement of the building of the Ministry of Justice where they were both
verbally and physically assaulted again. They were repeatedly told that
“Nuestro Gobernador Peña Nieto no quiere maricones, tratados de putitos y
jotos” (our Governor Peña Nieto doesn't like gays and faggots). Agustín
Estrada Negrete was also charged with the crime of the obstruction of
traffic.
Jaime Lopez Vela was released on bail the following day, 8
May 2009. At that time, the human rights lawyer was informed that Agustín
Estrada Negrete would be brought to the court of Ecatepec in relation to
other legal matters connected to the case for his reinstatement that were
still pending, and that he would be then released on bail.
However Agustín Estrada Negrete was instead beaten again
and then brought to a penitentiary in Almoloya. He was told that “El
Gobernador del Estado México no te quiere por maricon, te vamos a
desaparecer” (the Governor of the State of Mexico doesn't like faggots,
we're going to make you disappear”. On arrival at Almoloya he was
verbally and physically assaulted again and then sexually assaulted by
men who covered their faces so as not to be identified. He was released
on 9 May 2009.
Both human rights defenders reported the incidents and
called on the National Commission for Human Rights, Consejo Para Prevenir
la Discriminación- CONAPRED (the Council for the Prevention of
Discrimination), the Minister for Education and the Minister for Health,
among others, to take action against these violations of human rights.
However, the sexual assault complaint has not been accepted by
authorities and the aforementioned human rights defenders have been
warned not to continue with this particular complaint if they want to
remain alive. No date has yet been set for Jaime Lopez Vela's hearing
while Agustín Estrada Negrete had his first court appearance related to
the matter on 20 May 2009.
Agustín Estrada Negrete was initially removed from his
post as director of the school for children with disabilities, Centro de
Atención Múltiple, for a period of one year as a result of complaints
made against him in 2007. On 17 May 2007, the state commission for human
rights invited Agustín Estrada Negrete to participate at an event to
combat homophobia, in Ecatepec, Mexico. At this event, he carried out a
performance dressed in women's clothing. A number of members of the
schools' staff filed complaints against him, falsely accusing him of
going to school dressed as a woman, which they claimed would threaten the
development of the children at the school. Parents of the children who
attend the school fully support the call for the reinstatement of Agustín
Estrada Negrete, the man responsible for the construction and development
of the school.
I believe that the arrest, detention and physical assault
of the aforementioned human rights defenders, and the sexual assault of
Agustín Estrada Negrete, are directly related to their work in the
defence of human rights, in particular in the defence of the rights of
the LGBT community. I am seriously concerned for the physical and
psychological integrity of these human rights defenders.
I call on you to urge the Mexican authorities to:
1.Reinstate Agustín Estrada Negrete to his position of
director of the school for disabled children, as Front Line believes that
he is being targeted as a result of his membership of the human rights
organisation, Agenda LGBT;
2.Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation
into the arrest, detention and physical assault of the aforementioned
human rights defenders and the sexual assault of Agustín Estrada Negrete,
with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to
justice in accordance with international standards;
3.Guarantee the security and physical and psychological
integrity of Jaime Lopez Vela and Agustín Estrada Negrete;
4.Ensure that all human rights defenders in Mexico,
carrying out their legitimate work in the defence of human rights, are able
to operate free of restrictions and reprisals.
Yours sincerely,
MERCI D'INTERVENIR IMMÉDIATEMENT.
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bservatoire Mondial des Droits de la
Défense et des violations des droits des avocats
