2024-01-13 04:34:00
Judge Julio César Victoria Gómez sentenced the indigenous Versaín Velasco García to 58 years and 4 months in prison, inhabitant of the Nueva Palestine community, municipality of Ocosingo.
He and his family were expelled from the community and then accused of various crimes by people linked to human and drug trafficking who operate in the region.
On December 15, 2021, Versaín was the victim of an attempted lynching by an armed groupalong with community police and New Palestine authorities.
They are son-in-law Fredy Gómez Sántiz was missing during the attack; one of the women of his family suffered sexual abuse.
A day later, he and his family, about 34 people, had to leave the community to avoid being murdered.
In the municipal seat of Ocosingo, he reported the assault and disappearance of his son-in-law to the Chiapas Prosecutor’s Office; In retaliation, they accused him of the murder of a police officer.
To your daughter Isaura Velasco, and to your wife Antonia Aguilar Solorzano, the accused of robbery with violence aggravated; They were imprisoned for a year until, due to lack of evidence, they were released.
Versaín considered himself a defender of human rights; The population came to him for help and advice when they suffered abuse of authority.
Velasco denounced collusion between authorities and organized crime
Months before his arrest, he denounced the collusion between local authorities and groups dedicated to human and drug trafficking in the jungle area, where Nueva Palestine, the largest community in Ocosingo, is located.
“The last thing my father reported was that they arrested some young people and kept them locked up for 12 days – in a prison in New Palestine -, without water and without food. After that they came at us,” explained Moctezuma Velasco, his son.
Two years after his arrest, Judge Julio César Victoria Gómez held a hearing for three days to hand down the sentence.
Judge dismisses irregularities in the activist’s detention
This Friday, Moctezuma Velasco explained that the evidence of the attack suffered by Versaín and his family was omitted to be considered, the testimonies of people from the community were also dismissed, and the irregularities that occurred in the detention were also dismissed.
This Friday afternoon, the judge said that the sentence against Versaín Velasco was 58 years and 4 months in prison.
“All this is not fair, what is the point then of all the supposed justice on earth. It is not fair, it is not fair that the state is in favor of these murderers and paramilitaries,” said his son upon learning the sentence.
The Velasco family is currently in a situation of forced displacement. However, he has formally denounced the attacks he has suffered.
So far they have filed three complaints: one with the Indigenous Justice Prosecutor’s Office, for attempted murder, injuries, threats, damages, and whatever results; another in the Specialized Investigation Unit for the crime of Torture, for sexual torture; and the third in the Prosecutor Against the Forced Disappearance of Persons and those Committed by Individuals, for the Forced Disappearance of Fredy Gómez Santíz.
In none of them has criminal action been taken against those likely responsible.
They have also requested the State Council for Comprehensive Attention to Internal Displacement, without this body having met to respond. From the international level, on February 1, 2023, the Committee against the Forced Disappearance of Persons of the United Nations Organization requested Urgent Action 1569/2023 from the Mexican State for the forced disappearance of the Tseltal Mayan indigenous Fredy Gómez Sántiz. There has not been a favorable response either.
Last Monday, two days before the hearing, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor, advocated on behalf of Versaín Velasco.
On his social networks he published an image of him with the following message:
I will closely follow the trial of defender Versain Velasco García in Chiapas, Mexico this Monday. The charges against him appear false, fabricated in retaliation for his human rights work. He must be released.
1705145246
#Judge #sentences #indigenous #man #years #prison #opposing #criminal #groups #Chiapas