City council approves resolution in case of El Paso men imprisoned in Juárez

[molly]

I have the resolution in PDF format, but am having trouble converting
to text to post. Will send tomorrow. molly

http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_17774700
City council approves resolution in case of El Paso men imprisoned in
Juárez

By Adriana M. Chávez / El Paso Times
Posted: 04/05/2011 11:29:34 AM MDT

Click photo to enlarge

Kevin Huckabee, right, father of Shohn Huckabee, appealed to city...
(Rudy Gutierrez/El Paso Times)
City council members have approved a resolution asking U.S. and
Mexican government officials to review a drug case involving two El
Paso men.
Shohn Erich Huckabee, 23, and Carlos Guillermo Quijas Ruiz, 37, were
arrested by Mexican military members in December 2009 for allegedly
carrying suitcases filled with 115 pounds of marijuana during a visit
to Juárez.
In September 2010, a Mexican judge found both men guilty of having the
drugs and sentenced them to five years in prison despite testimony
from several witnesses who said they saw the Mexican soldiers plant
the drugs in Huckabee's truck after their arrest. One of the witnesses
was later murdered.
The resolution would allow Mayor John Cook to speak to Juárez Mayor
Héctor Murguía
MEXICO IN FOCUS
Analysis on news out of Mexico
about the case.

[molly]

Here's the full text of the El Paso City Council Resolution---it was
passed unanimously yesterday.


Whereas, Shohn Huckabee and Carlos Quijas are both El Paso residents
and United States citizens,

Whereas, Shohn Huckabee and Carlos Quijas were pulled over by the
Mexican military on December 18, 2009 for looking suspicious and then
detained for allegedly transporting two suitcases of marijuana,

Whereas, Shohn Huckabee and Carlos Quijas allege that they were beaten
and tortured by the Mexican military while being interrogated,

Whereas, Shohn Huckabee and Carlos Quijas further allege that the
marijuana was placed in their truck by the Mexican military and had
three witnesses who supported that allegation,

Whereas, one witnesses has since been killed and the two other
witnesses have gone into hiding,

Whereas, the Mexican justice system presumes that all suspects are
guilty and the burden is on the suspects to prove innocence, rather
than on the State to prove guilt,

Whereas, under this system Shohn Huckabee and Carlos Quijas have been
convicted and fear that their attempts to appeal the case will not be
fair and just,

Whereas, over 5,000 complaints have been filed against the Mexican
military with Mexico’s National Human Rights commission since 2006 and
include allegations of robbery, rape, torture and killing,

Whereas, Kerrie Howard, the deputy director of Amnesty International’s
Americas program has said, “There is a disturbing pattern of crimes
committed by the military in their security operations, abuse that is
being denied and ignored by both the civilian and the military
authorities in Mexico,"

Whereas, the United States by supporting the Mexican military through
billions of dollars in aid through the Merida Initiative has said that
they make the protection of human rights a condition of 15% of that
financial support,

Whereas, the families of Shohn Huckabee and Carlos Quijas have worked
tirelessly to get the attention and oversight of the U.S. Consulate,
the Mexican Consulate and their federal representatives to ensure that
Shohn and Carlos and others like them are treated humanely and fairly,

Whereas, those attempts have not yet led to a vigorous review of the
facts and the conditions of their incarceration,

Now therefore, be it resolved that the Mayor and City Council request
a vigorous review of the facts and conditions by the State Department
of the incarceration of Shohn Huckabee and Carlos Quijas to ensure
that they are treated fairly through the judicial process and

That the Mayor and City Council request that further funding of the
Merida Initiative be withheld until such time as the United States can
ensure that the Mexican military is held to task for any violations of
human rights.


Susie Byrd
City Council Representative, District 2
541-4416
www.notesfromdistrict2.blogspot.com