February 15, 2016 – Today, Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan E. Méndez, called on the Mexican Government to carry out an impartial and exhaustive investigation into what happened at Topo Chico Penitentiary on the night of February 10 and morning of February 11.
The Rapporteur emphasized the duty of the Mexican authorities to guarantee the right of family members to know the truth of what happened, to investigate and provide restitution for the victims and their family members, including the guarantee of non-repetition and to make substantial improvements in detention conditions. The Rapporteur carried out a visit to Topo Chico Penitentiary in his official visit to Mexico in April 2014, where he highlighted the existence of a deteriorating infrastructure, horrific sanitary conditions, bad quality of food, deplorable conditions of solitary confinement and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of disabled persons, among other express violations of human rights.
The Rapporteur recalled that States assume a special position of guaranteeing the rights of persons deprived of their liberty. Therefore, the State is obligated to protect the life and integrity of persons deprived of their liberty.
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