Amnesty International urges Mexican president to investigate enforced disappearances

Amnesty International urges Mexican president to investigate enforced disappearances

2011-06-29 20:31:19 GMT+7 (ICT)

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- Amnesty International on Wednesday urged Mexico's President Felipe Calderón to investigate the disappearance of least six people who were detained by the Mexican navy in early June.

In a public letter to the President, Amnesty International's Secretary General, Salil Shetty, pointed to witness testimony and photographs of the suspected enforced disappearance of at least six men between June 1-5 in Nuevo Laredo, along the US border in Tamaulipas state.

"Nearly four weeks have passed and we still know nothing of the whereabouts of these men or why the navy detained them," said Javier Zuñiga, Special Advisor at Amnesty International.

"As the commander in chief of Mexico's armed forces, the chain of command stops with President Felipe Calderón. He ordered the armed forces in to tackle organized crime and is ultimately responsible for any human rights abuses committed."

The London-based human rights organization said that in four of the cases, uniformed navy personnel took the men from their homes in official vehicles. According to family members, officials interrogated the detainees about possession of drugs and arms, but did not provide an arrest warrant or a reason for their detention. They added that an investigation launched by the Federal Attorney General's Office has made little progress.

A local human rights NGO in Nuevo Laredo received reports of eight other enforced disappearances this month, but family members were too scared to file formal complaints. 

Meanwhile, naval authorities continue to deny involvement in the disappearances.

Mexico has joined several international treaties to end enforced disappearance, a serious violation of the rule of law that can amount to a crime against humanity.

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