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Seven of the people detained following the protest over contaminated water in Guadalajara were transferred to the Puente Grande prison complex, the Jalisco Prosecutor's Office reported on Tuesday, an agency accused by collectives and relatives of failing to follow due process for the accused.
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On Sunday, thousands of residents of the Guadalajara metropolitan area, the third most populous in Mexico, protested against the contaminated water reaching their homes, a demonstration that ended with arrests and dozens of people injured, including local and national press representatives and police officers.
The state prosecutor's office revealed that over the course of Monday, it released 32 of the 39 people detained—according to its records—who still have an open investigation file.
Of the remaining seven people, six are accused of "intentional injuries" against individuals performing public security functions. Another of the detainees "is charged with the crime of disobedience or resistance to authorities," the agency asserted in a statement.
Among those charged is a platform food delivery driver who was not participating in the protest.
Later, the prosecutor's office issued a second statement clarifying that the seven detainees were placed "at the disposal of a court for the holding of the corresponding hearings and will not be admitted to prison, but will instead be in the courthouse area."
It added that the transfer to this maximum-security complex "does not mean that they have been sentenced" but that the control judge will determine "their legal status in the coming hours" and resolve whether they are bound over to trial and what possible precautionary measures will be taken, "including the possibility that they may continue their process in freedom."
The Center for Justice for Peace and Development (CEPAD), which is providing part of the legal defense for the detainees, demanded that the prosecutor's office respect "due process and the right to an adequate defense."
In a statement, it called for the release of the detained individuals and made "a call to the Judiciary not to be a participant in acts of injustice or the criminalization of those who exercise their right to demonstrate."
Since Sunday, CEPAD and other human rights defense organizations have documented and denounced the arbitrary and violent detention of 49 people, a figure different from the 39 announced by the prosecutor's office.
Collectives, lawyers, and relatives assert that none of those transferred to Puente Grande committed the crimes they are charged with and that their arrests were violent, as shown in multiple videos presented as evidence.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Tuesday that the Attorney General's Office (FGR) could investigate the actions of Jalisco police during the protests if the affected parties file a formal complaint.
On Tuesday, at least four protests called by students and citizens are expected to take place in various parts of the city to demand the release of those detained and the right to demonstrate peacefully.
[Publicidad]