A communique in support of prisoners from the village of San Salvador Atenco, being held at Santiaguito prison in Mexico state. Via Chiapas95 [1], Aug. 1 (our translation):
SANTIAGUITO PRISONERS DENOUNCE ATTACK BY GUARD AGAINST POLITICAL PRISONER
published by Radio Pacheco
Prisoners' letter, July 31
The aggression has begun again, this time against our companero David Medina Neri, a 42-year old man who was beaten by a guard today. Supposedly it's the guards' job to protect us from the aggression of other inmates, but now it turns out that the blows we receive come from them. Our companero David is sick and we know that any sickness hits people harder as they get older. He was lying down because he had the flu and a fever when the guy began kicking his right leg that had been hurting a few days before. He jerked him up and shoved him out of the cell, cursing at him all the while. The guard was told that we who were arrested at Atenco have a protective order that forbids that kind of treatment. It had happened once before when they tried to take our companero Arturo Sanchez Romero's shoes. The guard began to yell at us that he didn't give a shit about Atenco or protective orders, that they were just bullshit. Some of the companeros began to argue with him about what he was doing and he left as soon as he could.
We don't want to hear the Warden say that we provoked anyone or that we started something because that's a lie. The officials are aware of the situation we're in so they should stop lying and tell the truth about what's going on here. For now, we're on the alert. We hope you liked the songs.
Thanks for sticking with us.
Onward
We're with you
Freedom for all political prisoners
URGENT
Posted by Resistencia
To all solidarity organizations and those of the Other Campaign:
This morning we found out about the accusations made by our companeros who are being held at the Santiaguito prison. They tell us that a guard struck our companero David Median Neri. This is unpardonable. Furthermore, the guard said, and this is a quote, that he "didn't give a shit" about the protective orders. From this time on we are holding the Warden of the prison and the Chief of Security responsible for our companero's wounds and for any attempts against other companer@s's physical or emotional security. A Commission has been formed to clarify this matter in absence of dialogue.
Nevertheless, the Warden has refused to accept the Commission. He only spoke with one family member. In the face of the action taken by those present at the sit-in of not letting vehicles leave the prison until the problem is resolved, he made threats, saying that he had "already spoken to the police and advised them to take action".
The Warden said that he would only speak with someone from the Human Rights Commission. We, in turn, accused him of trying to buy time and to find a way to protect the guard and/or threaten our companeros to make them drop the charges.
We ask that all organizations, as well as the national and international civil society, spread the word about what is happening and engage in actions to pressure the authorities to punish those who are responsible. Please write letters or e-mails to the prison administration and the government of the State of Mexico. Evaluate the situation, see what you can do, and do it.
WE DEMAND:
1. the immediate presence of human rights organizations and collectives that can enter the prison, press charges, and physically evaluate our companero.
2. that the prison guards not leave until our companero has identified the guard in question and pressed charges against him for violating the protective order, a judicial resolution.
3. the immediate resignation of the prison Warden and the Chief of Internal Security due to the fact that they have permitted the aggression and covered it up.
4. that the General Director of Prisons of the State of Mexico resolve this problem because it is beyond the scope of the Warden of this prison, given that he is protecting the guard and probably ordered the aggression.
From Mexico Indymedia [2]
See our last posts on Mexico [3], the Atenco crisis [4] and the Other Campaign [5].
