Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Chiapas becomes first Mexican state to end the "arraigo"

Following the ratification of 78 municipalities, the state legislature in Chiapas declared an end to the legal arraigo,  where citizens may be held without any charges in what is perhaps best translated as "preventive detention," in all its Orwellian glory.

Many human rights organizations have pushed for this, and for it to be extended to other states as well, and with good cause: It completely eliminates the presumption of innocence. The United Nations have also called on Mexico to end this legal practice. Now Chiapas became the first state to do so.

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