Deputies Approve Law Allowing Military Searches of Private Homes, Government Offices Aristegui Noticias
go to original April 23, 2016

The Chamber of Deputies approved an amendment to the Code of Military Justice and a New Military Code of Criminal Procedure which creates the position of the Attorney General of Military Justice and military judges of control [case management] who, in cases of organized crime, homicide or serious and violent crimes with firearms and explosives, can issue a search warrant for private homes, government offices and the two chambers of Congress, although the Constitution defines the legislative premises as inviolable under Article 61, La Jornada reported.

The search warrant also extends to autonomous constitutional bodies such as the headquarters of the National Commission of Human Rights (CNDH), the National Electoral Institute (INE), the Bank of Mexico, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) or the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT).

The wiretapping of soldiers and citizens is also permitted, and it leaves the armed forces free of responsibility when there are human rights victims.

During the session, these measures were regarded by Morena and Citizens Movement (MC) Movement as a step backward on human rights, although their observations were made late because the respective bill had already been voted on after the PRI [Party of the Institutional Revolution] and PAN [National Action Party] had made an agreement with the PRD [Party of the Democratic Revolution] for it to vote in favor.

Morena had even agreed to vote in abstention and the Citizens Movement spokesperson, Manuel Espino, said party members would vote in favor of the military code of criminal procedures in order to give the armed forces "an opportunity to vindicate themselves for what they have contributed to infringing on the human rights of Mexicans."

Read the rest at Mexico Voices

Related: Mexico Drug War: Using Armed Forces as Police Has Serious Negative Consequences (Mexico Voices)

Mexico Voices is a blogging endeavor aimed at raising the awareness of U.S. citizens regarding the destructive impact of the U.S. economic policy and the War on Drugs on Mexico — on its people, their economic and physical security and their human rights, on the nation’s dysfunctional justice system, and on the rule of law and Mexico’s fragile democracy. Visit the website at MexicoVoices.blogspot.mx

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