14 Facts about Torture in Mexico | Amnesty International USA

23.10.14

14 Facts about Torture in Mexico | Amnesty International USA



3. Fear of torture is widespread. 64 per cent of Mexicans are scared of being tortured if taken into custody, according to a recent survey commissioned by Amnesty International.


4. Reports of torture and other ill-treatment increased as violence spiralled in Mexico after 2006, as a result of the government’s “war on drugs”.


5. Impunity for those who torture is rife. According to the Federal Judicial Council, federal courts dealt with 123 prosecutionsfor torture between 2005 and 2013; just seven resulted in convictions under the federal law.


6. Official bodies tasked with recording the problem are failing in their duties. Less than one per cent of victims of human rights violations, including those who have been tortured, have seen the National Human Rights Commission issue a public recommendation on their cases. All other complaints remain closed to public scrutiny.


7. People picked up by the police can be held in detention for a long time before any charges are filed against them. Between 2008 and 2013, 8,595 people in Mexico were held in up to 80-day pre-charge detention (arraigo) by the Federal Attorney General’s Office. During that time detainees are at risk of torture. The government has reduced the use of arraigo detention since 2013, but not outlawed it.