Activists Demand Release of Indigenous Mexican Political Prisoner Clayton Conn - Upside Down World
go to original June 30, 2013

“Free Patishtán Now!” (Clayton Conn/Upside Down World)

Dozens of activists, human rights defenders, intellectuals and cultural figures held a rally on last week in front of the Council of the Federal Judiciary in Mexico City to demand the immediate freedom of political prisoner Alberto Patishtán Gomez.

Patishtán, an indigenous teacher and pro-Zapatista activist, has been incarcerated for 13 years with a sentence of 60 for his alleged involvement in an ambush that left 7 police dead in the Mexican state of Chiapas in 2000.

His supporters decry the allegations as false, stating that the authorities have no hard evidence against him, that he was framed for being outspoken against local corruption in his community and thus criminalized for his social activism.

Since his detention, Patishtán has suffered harsh treatment by prison authorities and many legal routes to secure his freedom have been exhausted, including the case being taken up by Mexico’s Supreme Court.

The campaign for his liberation has broad national and international support, with many celebrities, intellectuals, notable activists, human rights organizations and even the current Governor of Chiapas calling for his freedom.

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