A/HRC/11/37
lacked basic guarantees, and that cases in which military members were accused of human
rights violations against civilians should be immediately referred to Public Ministry
officials.
615. Action Canada for Population and Development noted that the conditions put to the
criminalization of seduction by deceit (estrupo) of minors were not in conformity with the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Mexico
should be encouraged to implement without delay the recommendations that it unify
domestic legislation — particularly regarding estrupo — and harmonization with
international law, and that it reform or abolish laws, regulations and practices that were
discriminatory against women, with a view to protect their freedom, autonomy and sexual
rights.
616. The International Commission of Jurists and the Centro de Derechos Humanos
Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez referred to the need to resolve the problems of torture and
arbitrary detention and to combat impunity. They referred to a pattern of criminalization of
social protest and political dissidence in Oaxaca, which took the form of arbitrary detention,
excessive use of force, the murder of political opponents and the intimidation of civil
society, the media and independent journalists. They indicated that denial of justice for
persons detained in relation to the 2006 conflict in Oaxaca was systematic, and that there
was no sanction against those responsible for the repression, nor for other crimes
committed before and after those events, including enforced disappearances.
617. The Federation for Women and Family Planning appreciated the steps envisaged and
taken by Mexico for the rights of the child, as reflected in the Working Group report.
Highlighting the importance of comprehensive sexual education for children and youth, it
was pleased that Mexico had hosted a gathering of ministers for health and education from
Latin America and the Caribbean in 2008 and signed a ministerial declaration on prevention
through education. It urged Mexico to take action to promote comprehensive sexual
education in schools in order to meet the commitments made in the Declaration.
618. Grupo de Información en Reproducción Elegida stressed the recommendations
made that Mexico harmonize national legislation with international human rights
instruments. It recalled that recommendations regarding the abolition of arraigo and the
revision of the definition of organized crime in accordance with the Palermo Protocol were
pending. It noted documented cases where social movement leaders had been falsely
accused of belonging to organized crime, and stressed that arraigo was a form of arbitrary
detention used daily by security forces and military members. It called upon Mexico to
implement these recommendations and to open a public debate on arraigo.
619. Conectas Direitos Humanos expressed its concern about the recommendations
pending acceptance by Mexico, particularly regarding the re-establishment of the Special
Prosecutor’s office or a similar mechanism for the investigation of past crimes. It indicated
that the hearing of a case regarding the lack of access to justice for past crimes would take
place before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in July 2009, which could offer a
new opportunity for Mexico to resolve this problem. It called on the Members of the
Council to accompany Mexico in this process.
620. The Miguel Agustín Pro Juarez Human Rights Centre noted that most
recommendations pending related to the duty to investigate and prosecute cases of alleged
human rights violations in civilian rather than in military courts. It emphasized the urgent
need for Mexico to comply with these recommendations. It stressed that documented
military abuses included torture, arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial executions; that the
number of reported violations received by the national human rights commission against
Mexico’s Defense Department had increased sixfold between 2006 and 2008; and that only
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