Mexico: Release Jacinta Marcial: Case Sheet

Index Number: AMR 41/041/2009
Date Published: 18 August 2009
Categories: Mexico

Jacinta Francisco Marcial, an Otomí Indigenous woman, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison charged with the kidnapping of six agents of the Federal Investigation Agency. The agents claim they were held hostage by market stall holders during a disturbance in 2006. Amnesty International believes that Jacinta has been imprisoned solely due to her marginal status in society as a poor indigenous woman with limited access to justice. Amnesty International considers her to be a prisoner of conscience and is calling for her immediate and unconditional release.