Mexico: Torture victim freed after 23 years in prison

[Judi Lynn]

Mexico: Torture victim freed after 23 years in prison
19 Mar 2015, 3:47pm

A Mexican Supreme Court judgement ordering the immediate release of a man jailed more than two decades ago on the basis of a confession extracted under torture is an important victory for justice, said Amnesty International today.

The Supreme Court ordered Alfonso Martín del Campo Dodd’s release on 18 March. He spent nearly 23 years in prison after being convicted in 1992 for the murder of his sister and brother-in-law, crimes he only confessed to after being arbitrarily detained and tortured in Mexico City.

Amnesty International Mexico Executive Director, Perseo Quiroz, said

“Alfonso Martín del Campo Dodd’s release is a long-overdue victory for justice. His case should have been thrown out decades ago after torture was used to extract his confession – a clear violation of international human rights law.

This Supreme Court ruling again underscores the urgency of tackling the widespread use of torture in Mexico’s justice system, something highlighted earlier this month by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.

“Torture victims in our country deserve, at the very least, for judges to take into consideration any independent expertise proving that they were tortured.”

More:
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/mexico-torture-victim-freed-after-23-years-prison