Mexico City, Mexico – The Mexican government released Jose Diaz Gomez after two years in prison for a crime he did not commit, according to human rights organizations Fray Bartolomé de las Casas (Grupo Frayba). Diaz Gomez is a member of the Support Base for the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, a left-wing guerrilla group that has been in varying degrees of conflict with the Mexican government for 30 years.
He had been held without charge, accused of robbery in custody for a year and nine months in a prison in Playas de Catazajá, Chiapas, in southeastern Mexico.
The man, a member of the Ch’ol indigenous people, was reportedly arrested on November 25, 2022, when suspected police officers stopped and beat him on charges of robbery.
According to the Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas (Frayba) Center for Human Rights, Díaz Gómez’s case was fraught with abuse of authority and corruption. They say he was robbed of 1,400 Mexican pesos (US$73) at the time of his arrest and forced to sign blank pages without anyone to translate the situation to him in his native language.
During his imprisonment, the Frayba Center accompanied Gómez, denouncing the inhumane treatment he had been subjected to, even the acts of torture committed against him.
“The cruelty of the prison system is unconscionable; the lack of medical care puts Jose’s health and life at risk; his integrity and safety are at risk living in a small cell with 18 people, overcrowding conditions increase the risk of violence due to abuses and conflicts,” Frabya wrote in a statement.
According to the Zapatista Army, Gomez, who is part of the Zapatista-governed autonomous territory, was arrested for being part of the indigenous movement.
Indigenous members of the Zapatista Autonomous Territories have been persecuted and attacked by state forces and paramilitaries. Recently, the Zapatistas denounced the armed attack against Jorge López Sántiz, a member of the Tseltal indigenous community as well as a member of the Zapatista Army Support Bases.
Armed attacks and judicial persecution have occurred against indigenous people seeking to protect their territory and customs from government infrastructure projects.
“It is with great happiness that we report the freedom of our comrade José Díaz Gómez, Support Base of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (BAEZLN). This freedom is thanks to the decisive and joint action of peoples, communities, collectives, organizations and individuals”, says a statement from Frayba.
