CRIPDES Leaders Still in Jail, reports of repression – July 2, 2007

CRIPDES LEADERS STILL BEING HELD IN JAIL, DETAILS ON REPRESSION OF SUCHITOTO PROTEST

We want to share more information on the violent and arbitrary arrest and detention of CRIPDES leaders travelling to a demonstration this morning, and details of repression against protesters in the municipality of Suchitoto. 

The CRIPDES leaders arrested were taken from Suchitoto police station to Cojutepeque, the capitol of the Cuscatlán Province.  From there they were then taken to the police station in Santa Cruz Analquitos, to the south of Cojutepeque. At the time this update was sent, the several of the detainees were still in Analquitos, while others were reported to have been moved to Suchitoto or back to Cojutepeque.  We expect they will remain separated and be moved again in a clear attempt to keep them out of sight and out of contact with members of the Salvadoran social movement demanding their release.

–         Those arrested have been charged with “Creating Public Disorder,” and lawyers who have been in contact with the police headquarters in Cojutepeque confirm that their case will be designated under those charges to the Cojutepeque departmental attorneys and court system. Under Salvadoran law the departmental prosecutors have 72 hours to present charges at a hearing, which will most likely be held in Suchitoto.

–         Despite the charges of “Creating Public Disorder,” the CRIPDES leaders arrested never came close to the protest activities being carried out in Suchitoto. News footage shown on the Salvadoran Tele-Corporation (TCS) channels clearly show a the police vehicle overtaking the CRIPDES truck on the paved road between Suchitoto and San Martín, swerving in front and stopping the CRIPDES leaders. The video also shows the police forcefully removing the passengers from the pick-up truck, and taking them away in handcuffs, several kilometres away from where the protest was staged.

–         We can share extra-official numbers from the confrontation between police and protesters when the CRIPDES detainees were originally held in Suchitoto:  the Unit for Maintenance of Order (UMO) forcefully dispersed protesters with tear gas, rubber bullets and wooden batons, and arrested 13 protesters from the local rural communities, while another reported 75 people were injured.

–         As well we have reports from the community of Guillermo Ungo, several kilometres south of Suchitoto, where the UMO riot police attacked community members on the road on their way to the Suchitoto protests, again using rubber bullets and tear gas, forcing the community members to flee into the hills. They were followed by the UMO riot police and the Police Reaction Groups (GRPs) by land and by air for more than 4 hours, with several arrests made.  School classes in the nearby community were suspended because of the effects of the tear gas.

At this time, lawyers are still searching for information and dialoguing with police and provincial authorities. CRIPDES leadership, along with a host of other social movement organizations are meeting to discuss a strategy to push for the liberation of these detainees. CRIPDES Directive Council Member Bernardo Belloso Osorio said that the matter was clearly political, and should be treated as such, and asked human rights and solidarity networks to be alert to a call for help in the coming hours, once the players and positions were clearly identified.

So, the call is to be alert and take action in the coming hours as the situation continues to develop.

In solidarity,

S.C. Staff.

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