On Saturday, October 24, just one hour after a judge in the state of Mexico granted interim relief to indigenous rights defender Kenia Hernández, she was arrested once again, this time under orders of a federal judge, and imprisoned in the Acapulco prison in the state of Guerrero. She had previously fled the state for security reasons after being pursued and threatened with death by State agents and paramilitary groups.  

This Monday she was transferred to the federal prison in the state of Morelos, where she will remain until October 31, when she will have a hearing. Afterwards, she will be returned to the federal prison at Almoloya de Juarez in the state of Mexico.

Kenia Hernández was arbitrarily arrested last October 18 at the Amozoc toll booth in the state of Puebla and was then deprived of her freedom in the prison at Almoloya de Juárez, state of Mexico while waiting to appear in court. In violation of her judicial safeguards, her court appearance did not take place until Saturday, October 24.  

 This is Kenia’s third arrest so far this year.  The federal charges with which she is being criminalized, “attacks on a public thoroughfare,” have to do with mobilizations of the Zapata Vive Libertarian Collective to demand free transit on the country’s highways. 

We of the National Network of Women Human Rights Defenders in Mexico, ProDESC, the Zeferino Ladrillero Center for Human Rights, and IM-Defensoras denounce the criminalization, judicial harassment, and violations of judicial safeguards against Kenia for defending human rights and exercising her legitimate right to protest. We demand the defender’s immediate release, and full respect for due process of law and her right to defend rights.  

We call on the international community to exhibit concern for the case and express solidarity with Kenia Hernández, denouncing the unjust situation that she is experiencing and joining in the demand for her release.