It took Miriam Isaura López Vargas several weeks to piece together what happened to her.
On Feb. 2, 2011, the 30-year-old mother of four had just dropped three of her children off at school when two masked men forced her into a van, blindfolded her and tied her hands. The men drove her to military barracks 50 miles away.
Soldiers raped and otherwise tortured her repeatedly, trying to force her to "confess" to drug trafficking and incriminate other detainees, unknown to Miriam.
She was held in this hell, without charges, for 8 months before being released.
Miriam is not alone. Torture cases have skyrocketed in Mexico.
According to Mexico's National Human Rights Commission Reports, torture and ill-treatment rose an astounding 500 percent in Mexico from 2005 to 2012.
Miriam has identified those responsible, yet no charges have been filed. Even if charges were filed, convictions for such crimes are rare.
December 15 is a key day for Miriam's case: it marks two years since she filed an official complaint and yet there is very little progress.
Who do you turn to when government soldiers rape with impunity? The massive global human rights force of Amnesty International.
Miriam is one of 10 urgent human rights cases highlighted in Amnesty International's 2013 Write for Rights campaign, the world's largest and most effective letter-writing event.
Together, we've helped free enough prisoners of conscience to fill Madison Square Garden – twice.
TAKE ACTION
In solidarity,
Jasmine Heiss
Campaigner, Individuals and Communities at Risk
Amnesty International USA
On Feb. 2, 2011, the 30-year-old mother of four had just dropped three of her children off at school when two masked men forced her into a van, blindfolded her and tied her hands. The men drove her to military barracks 50 miles away.
Soldiers raped and otherwise tortured her repeatedly, trying to force her to "confess" to drug trafficking and incriminate other detainees, unknown to Miriam.
She was held in this hell, without charges, for 8 months before being released.
Miriam is not alone. Torture cases have skyrocketed in Mexico.
According to Mexico's National Human Rights Commission Reports, torture and ill-treatment rose an astounding 500 percent in Mexico from 2005 to 2012.
Miriam has identified those responsible, yet no charges have been filed. Even if charges were filed, convictions for such crimes are rare.
December 15 is a key day for Miriam's case: it marks two years since she filed an official complaint and yet there is very little progress.
Who do you turn to when government soldiers rape with impunity? The massive global human rights force of Amnesty International.
Miriam is one of 10 urgent human rights cases highlighted in Amnesty International's 2013 Write for Rights campaign, the world's largest and most effective letter-writing event.
Together, we've helped free enough prisoners of conscience to fill Madison Square Garden – twice.
TAKE ACTION
In solidarity,
Jasmine Heiss
Campaigner, Individuals and Communities at Risk
Amnesty International USA
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