Uniform Impunity
Author | : Human Rights Watch (Organization) |
Publisher | : Human Rights Watch |
Total Pages | : 80 |
Release | : 2009 |
ISBN-10 | : 9781564324702 |
ISBN-13 | : 1564324702 |
Rating | : 4/5 (02 Downloads) |
Download or read book Uniform Impunity written by Human Rights Watch (Organization) and published by Human Rights Watch. This book was released on 2009 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It tolerates the military investigating itself through a system that lacks basic safeguards to ensure independence and impartiality. This report describes 17 cases involving egregious crimes by soldiers against more than 70 victims, including several cases from 2007 and 2008. None of the military investigations of army abuses analyzed here has led to a criminal conviction of even a single soldier for human rights violations. A civilian investigation was conducted in one of the cases and led to the conviction of four soldiers. The military invokes the Code of Military Justice and a strained constitutional interpretation to justify exerting jurisdiction over the cases. Civilian prosecutors have typically accepted the military's jurisdiction grab. But this outcome is not prescribed by Mexico's Constitution and is inconsistent with a recent binding Supreme Court decision.