Letter from Indigenous Prisoner in Struggle, Adrián Gómez Jiménez, On His Birthday

Letter from Indigenous Tzotzil prisoner in struggle, Adrián Gómez Jiménez, denouncing his continued imprisonment regardless of having already fulfilled sufficient work days to be released. Adrián remains in prison after sixteen years for a crime he didn’t commit.

 

To the Public

To the Networks of Resistance and Rebellion

To the National Indigenous Congress

To the Zapatista Army of National Liberation

To the National and International Sixth

To the Network Against Repression and for Solidarity

To the Mass and Alternative Media

To the Human Rights Defenders and Non-Governmental Organizations

To the Independent Organizations

To the Civil Society of Mexico and the World

Indigenous prisoner, Adrián Gómez Jiménez, member of the organization, La Voz de Indígenas en Resistencia, adherent of the national and international sixth of the Lacandon Jungle of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

First of all, I send all the compas a fraternal embrace, those who have followed our struggle and visited us in our space of struggle, CERESO No. 5, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas.

I am in prison for a crime that I never committed.

I remain in prison in spite of the fact that I should have already been released. I have already achieved my freedom for the work days I have carried out inside prison. I had hoped that I would be released last year, but the public officials, specifically of the court, are not interested in my release. Today, March 5, is my birthday, marking one more year of my life. I have already been unjustly in prison for 16 years. I have passed 16 years without celebrating my birthday with my family and close friends. Today is one more day I remain in prison. How many prisoners are unjustly imprisoned, who spend years without the presence of their families and close friends? There are many.

We see that our country and the authorities of this country have carried out many arbitrary detentions and many people are unjustly imprisoned due to torture carried out by judicial agents. This is what happened to me. I hope that next march 5 I will spend my birthday with my family and close friends. The authorities are unjust and have not given me my freedom. By law, I should have already been released because I have carried out the required work days to achieve my freedom.

These are the injustices that we experience as prisoners.

To say goodbye, I send warm greetings to all the political prisoners, prisoners of conscience and prisoners in struggle. I send greetings to those who read the communiques that we release constantly from CERESO No. 5.

Finally, I invite the state, national and international independent organizations and human rights defenders, to continue demanding true justice and freedom for the political prisoners, prisoners of conscious and prisoners in struggle.

By uniting the voices and forces of the Mexican people, true justice will triumph.

Respectfully,

Adrián Gómez Jiménez, members of the organization La Voz de Indígenas en Resistencia.