The Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI) and the Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña de Guerrero, Tlachinollan are calling for solidarity with Mexican Indigenous women Valentina Rosendo and Ines Fernandez in their continuing fight for justice.
Inés and Valentina are Me’phaa Indigenous women from the state of Guerrero, Mexico. They were sexually tortured by members of the armed forces in 2002.
Due to the impossibility of achieving justice in Mexico, Inés and Valentina had to take their plight to the Inter-American human rights system. In August 2010, the Inter-American Court on Human Rights, in two separate judgments, favored the two victims.
The Court determined that the rights of both victims to a life free from violence, to protection of human dignity and private life, and to due process and judicial guarantees had been violated. The Court decisions ordered individual and structural reparation measures in order to prevent similar abuses against other women in the future.
The reparation measures included effective investigations under the ordinary jurisdiction, which lead to sanctions on those who are responsible; public acknowledgement of the international obligations of the State; the creation of a community center for indigenous women in the Ayutla municipality; legal reforms to stop the impunity of perpetrators of human rights violators including military personnel; monetary compensation; guaranteed access to education and health to the victims, among others. It also ordered reforms of the military justice system.
The Court also concluded that Mexico had failed to comply with its international obligation to harmonize its military justice framework in accordance with international standards, based on international human rights treaties it has ratified. Mexico has signed and ratified all the fundamental international human rights treaties. It has also ratified ILO Convention 169, and had a leading role in the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
In March 2020, the Inter-American Court issued a supervision compliance resolution for the case of Valentina, pointing out several measures pending compliance. Last October 1, a follow up hearing took place .
Along all these years, Valentina and Ines have remained undaunted in their fight for justice, and their insistence that the Government of Mexico comply with all the measures ordered by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. We are in full solidarity with Ines and Valentina and we commit to continue supporting them until justice is served.
We call on the Mexican government to:
- take all the necessary actions to fully comply without further delay the two sentences ruled by the Inter-American Court of Justice;
- continue the processes of detention and prosecution of those involved in both cases, including high-ranking military officials;
standardize a protocol for the handling and treatment of rape cases throughout the Mexican territory and provide adequate training for the personnel attending rape victims; and - Fulfill the community reparation measures by:
- providing the resources for the operation of the Community Center and Children’s Refuge in Ayutla de los Libres; and
- providing adequate medical care supplies and manpower to the Health Center in Caxitepec.
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This sign on will be active until October 31, 2020.
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