LIBERTY and Justice for ATENCO

National and International Campaign
 
Urgent Communique & Action Alert
Liberty Now!
 
As some of you may know, a couple of weeks ago the General Court of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN in Spanish) decided to exercise their power of direct appeal  pertaining the 12 political prisoners of Atenco.

This decision completely changes the strategy which the national/international campaign has used up to today.  The fate of the our 12 friends is in the hands of  the General Court.  It is very probable that a judicial decision will be made soon.  We have reached a critical moment where the life of the 12 political prisoners is at take.  This requires the complete support and energy to mobilize. 
It is important to note that this case faces many difficulties.  The prisoners of Altiplano - Ignacio del Valle, Felipe Alvarez, and Hector Galindo- including the penalties which will be revised by the Supreme Court, have many orders of arrest against their cases.  Adan Espinosa, another political prisoner, also remains under process of arrest, and America Del Valle also remains under lawsuit.  Around 50 more people face lawsuits for participating in activities in May 2006. 

 
For these reasons, we send an urgent action alert to the national and international civil society and to more than 300 organizations that have participated in this campaign, to organize and mobilize to demand freedom for the 12 political prisoners, under the following proposed plans of action:

1.  Mobilizations: May 4th, four years after the repressive acts, in Mexico City Angel de la Independencia, in front of the Supreme Court of Justice, at 4pm; in various states of Mexico, in front of the executive offices of Judicial Power of the Federation, in front of Mexican Embassies and Consulates in different countries, to demand that the Supreme Court of Justice revise the cases and free the 12 political prisoners. 

2.  Prepare to mobilize again when the decision comes near, tentatively during the second week of June. 

3.  Prepare a plan of action in Mexico City and other cities during May and June, to plan mobilizations in front of the Supreme Court of Justice.  We will meet by assembly on Saturday, April 24th at 1pm, in SITUAM (Tlapan 1036, metro Nativitas).  We invite students, workers, women, indigenous peoples, campesinos, human rights groups, environmental groups, and popular organizations to participate.  We will provide precise information about the situation and present proposals to participating groups.

4.  We invite all the organizations throughout Mexico, and especially to the more than 100 organizations that participated in the "12 States/12 Prisoners Tour", to reactivate coordination and communication between organizations in your state to explore the possibilities supporting these mobilizations.  The Committee for Justice and Liberty for Atenco will send proposals for action to your local groups very soon.

5.  We invite the participants of the international campaign from Spain, Germany, Australia, Uruguay, Argentina, United States, Greece, Switzerland, Basque, England, and the rest of the world to join these mobilizations.  The Committee will be in contact with groups to propose a list of actions that could be organized outside of Mexico.

And lastly, we would like to remind everybody that we are receiving donations anywhere from 50 pesos and up to the campaign's official bank account in the name of Daniel Gimenez Cacho and Julieta Egurrola, 624027733, in Banorte.  The committee has decided that the majority of the donations go to support the families of the political prisoners and those facing persecution, and also towards expenses for the events and actions made to support the liberty of the prisoners.  These donations do NOT support any legal expenses to defend the prisoners.  As some of you may know, there are many groups aiding the defense of the prisoners.  This account does not receive support for legal defense. 

We realize that these are decisive moments for the liberty and justice of the prisoners, knowing that there is a possibility that impunity may prevail.  Atenco represents all of the social struggles that are continuously repressed.  The struggle for the liberation of the 12 political prisoners after 4 years of unjust arrest is a call for everybody.  The liberty of the political prisoners of Atenco is a national and international struggle
 
 
Friends and allies, the time has arrived
LIBERTY NOW!
 
PEOPLES' FRONT IN DEFENSE OF THE LAND (FPDT)
COMMITTEE FOR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE IN ATENCO

www.atencolibertadyjusticia.com