Update on Abuse and status of Prisoners in Guadalajara

Torture in Jail
-The detainees were denied food and water for the first two days they were detained.
-When the detainees were offered water, they were offered water from the toilet.
-When the detainees wanted to go to the bathroom, they were beaten so others detainees could hear their cries.
-After the detainees were taken back to their cells, the police
officers would zip up their pants to give the impression that the detainees were just raped.
-The detainees were beaten constantly and the prison guards would not allow them to sleep, if the detainees fell asleep the police officers would kick them until they woke up.
-Male police officers stripped the women naked and made them do squats in front of them.
-The police officers threatened to rape them, both men and women.
-Currently, 10 detainees are on hunger strike

Mapache´s testimony
-Mapache was identified as a leader as soon as he was arrested.
-The police demanded that be identify people in photos, when he refused they tortured him.
-He was given electroshocks to his testicles and arms.
-He was put in a punishment cell with 25 cops who threatened him with rape by pulling down his pants and underwear and laughing. They repeated these 4 times in a half hour.
-Police officers took him from cell to cell because they wanted him to point out who was involved. When he refused they ripped patches off his
clothes and stuffed them in his mouth and told his to swallow them.
When he continued to refuse, they told him he was going to find out what “Jalisco´s heart” is. The police put a plastic bag over his head and the bag around his neck. The police punched him in the stomach so that he gasps for air. The plastic bag over his head made it feel like he was suffocating.
-Apache was beaten contantly and has large bruises on his face and body.

The detainees have been denied their rights
-Human rights organizations have tried to interview the protesters
inside the prison but there was always a police officer present to intimidate them and keep them from speaking about the torture and conditions in jail.
-The first two days the detainees were not allowed communication with anyone, even their lawyers.
-There are 25 people being held at the state penitentiary and 3
underage prisoners at the juvenile prison.
-One woman was severely beaten and in currently in the hospital with a fractured skull. She is being charged with assaulting a police officer. Besides her small body frame, lawyers who visited her in the hospital confirmed that all bruises and head wounds are in the back of the head, neck and back.

Foreigners Arrested
-The 8 foreigners that were arrest were from Spain (4), Australia,
Canada, Italy and the United States.
-All foreigners were deported
-Some foreigners arrested did not even participate in the protest. For example, two foreigners were sitting in a cafe drinking coffee and were arrested because of the way they looked.

Police Harassment
-Protesters were getting routinely harassed wherever they went.
-Wednesday June 2nd, eight more people were arrested for flyering in Guadalajara and putting up posters.

Charges
Each detainee has a combination of the following charges:
-inciting a riot
-damage against private property
-blocking the means of transportation
-robbery
-assault
-resisting arrest

Bail
-Bail ranges from 3,000-25,000 US dollars making it impossible for most people to pay
-Detainees from Guadalajara bail has been set at half the amount as out-of-towners
-Bail bondsmen have refused to lend bail money to out-of-town detainees