Yesterday, three judges in Tlapa, Guerrero, ordered the immediate release of Nestora Salgado, after ruling that the kidnapping charges brought against her more than two years ago are not proved. However, Salgado, coordinator of the Olinalá Community Police in the Mountain region of Guerrero, could not leave Tepepan Women's Prison [Mexico City] last night because at the last minute the Guerrero State Prosecutor notified her that she faces three new arrest warrants for felony crimes.
Government sources close to the case reported that the arrest warrants served on her last night were issued between October 2013 and December 2014—two for alleged kidnappings and a third for an alleged murder for which Salgado is accused of being the mastermind.
In the course of the hearing of preliminary statement to be held today, Nestora and her lawyers will learn in detail the content of the new arrest warrants. Lawyer César Sandino Rivero, a member of Salgado's defense team, told this newspaper that he was confident that within 72 hours (which can be extended up to 144 hours) three new release orders will be issued to enable her release from prison.
On February 24, three judges who reviewed an appeal by the defense lawyer regarding the three kidnapping cases against Nestora Salgado ordered the regularization of the procedures [combining of the three cases], which concluded yesterday with the relevant release orders. Sandino Rivero informed La Jornada that Criminal Court 57, seated in Santa Martha Acatitla [Prison, Mexico City], notified Salgado directly of the release orders issued by the judges of Tlapa.
Regarding the release orders, the lawyer explained that of the three processes open for aggravated kidnapping, in two of them it was determined that the existence of crimes was not proved. On the third process, a just cause ruling was issued in Salgado's favor on grounds that her presumed responsibility was inadmissable.
The Sunday edition of La Jornada carried an interview conducted recently with Nestora Salgado, who told journalist Sanjuana Martínez:
"If I get rid of one, they have prepared another arrest warrant. The joke is that they want me to be imprisoned.
"What discourages me most is what the Guerrero State Prosecutor might have said, when his job is to have shown why I'm here, but he hasn't done it. He simply locked me up and [said, in effect,] 'Defend yourself if you can'. They should have demonstrated it [the crimes] with evidence. They never presented the supposed [kidnapping] victims.
"In 30 months they have never presented one person who, according to them, I kidnapped or harmed. I never hurt anyone. My conscience is clear. They know it. I am innocent."
MV Note: Under Mexican law, if plaintiff(s) or witness(es) fail to appear for the court hearing, the accused is presumed innocent.
For more on this story, see Nestora Salgado.
Related MV Translations:
Related MV Translations:
- Mexico Drug War-Guerrero: Nestora Salgado Recipient of "Full Punitive Power of Mexican State" (3/2/2016);
- Mexico Drug War-Guerrero: Judges Order Nestora Salgado's Judicial Process 'Restarted' (2/26/2016);
- Mexico Drug War-Guerrero: Nestora Salgado, UN and State Attorney General Olea (2/22/2016);
- Mexico Drug War-Guerrero: Nestora Salgado Stands Tall Supported by International Law (2/21/2016);
- Mexico Drug War-Guerrero: Government Deliberately Manipulating Judicial Proceeding Against Nestora Salgado - Lawyer (2/16/2016);
- Mexico Drug War-Guerrero: UN Group's Resolution to Release Nestora Binding on Government (2/4/2016);
- Mexico Drug War-Guerrero: Nestora Salgado's Arrest "Illegal and Arbitrary" - UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (2/3/2016);
- Mexico Drug War-Guerrero: Nestora Salgado's Letter from Tepepan Women's Prison (8/28/2015);
- Mexico: Guerrero State Superior Court to Streamline Nestora Salgado's Judicial Process (8/26/2015);
- Nestora Salgado, the Narco-State and Patriarchal Violence (8/24/2015);
- Nestora Salgado Should be Released Immediately" - Human Rights Groups (8/12/2015);
- Witnesses Against Nestora Salgado Fail to Appear to Testify; Process Delayed (8/11/2015);
- Nestora Salgado Presents Her Case (8/10/2015);
- Nestora Salgado Charges: "The Criminals Respected Community Police; The Government Wanted to Destroy Us" (6/23/2015);
- Nestora Salgado Is Illegally Imprisoned; Victim of Irregular Court Proceedings (5/11/2015);
- Mexico-Guerrero: Defending CRAC-PC In Its Time of Crisis (7/19/2014);
- Community Police and Self-Defense Groups: A Necessary Distinction (1/23/2014);
- Self-Defense Groups and Community Police Are Not the Same (1/20/2014);
- "Being a Community Police Officer Is Not a Choice, But An Assembly Decision" (9/27/2013);
- Community Police Justice Focuses On Re-Education, Study and Work for 'Criminals' in Guerrero, Mexico (6/9/2013);
- Leaders of CRAC Community Police Defend Their 17-Year Record of "Good Work" (3/22/2013).