18 August 2025

Mexico: We demand the release and end to criminalisation of Pablo López Alavez after 15 years of his arbitrary detention

International, Mexican and Oaxacan organisations demand the immediate release of indigenous Zapoteco Pablo López Alavez, defender of the forest.

Activists, collectives, and civil society organisations demand the immediate and unconditional release of Pablo López Alavez, a defender of the forest of Zapoteco origin and from the San Isidro Aloapam community, who has been deprived of his liberty for 15 years (15 August 2010) in violation of his human rights, including his right to a fair trial. The defender was arbitrarily detained and tortured by a group of people that did not carry an arrest warrant, and since then he has suffered ill-treatment and torture in detention.

We denounce that the First Court for the Conclusion of Traditional Criminal Cases of the State of Oaxaca issued a new decision on 6 March 2025, reinstating proceedings against Pablo López Alavez due to procedural irregularities and resentencing him to 30 years imprisonment for aggravated homicide, the same sentence that was overturned in 2017. This sentence was issued on the same day of the last hearing of the case, without considering the arguments of the defence or the exculpatory evidence proving that the human rights defender was elsewhere when the events he was accused of took place. It therefore ignored the serious inconsistencies and contradictions the evidence presented.

It has now been more than 7 years since the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued their opinion 23/2017, which concluded that the detention of Pablo is arbitrary and motivated by his legitimate work defending the environment. In December 2020, a group of United Nations Special Rapporteurs sent a joint allegation letter to the Mexican authorities, JAL MEX 14/2020, calling for Pablo López Alavez’s release and for the adoption of comprehensive remedial measures that have not been implemented to date.

Pablo López Alavez’s wife and fellow human rights defender, Yolanda Pérez Cruz, and their children were forced to leave their community due to constant and serious threats they faced in retaliation for their demands for justice and the defence of human rights. They are now beneficiaries of precautionary measures by Oaxaca Human Rights Ombudsman's Office (DDHPO). The detention of Pablo López Alavez and the forced displacement of his family has led to Yolanda Pérez Cruz to suffer from chronic diseases, cultural and community uprooting, and forced her to learn Spanish and adapt to urban life.

We call on the Mexican authorities to, in compliance with Mexico’s international obligations, cease the serious and systemic violation of the human rights of the defender of the forest, Pablo López Alavez, and urge them to:

Immediately comply with the obligations derived from the opinion 23/2017 and the JAL MEX 14/2020 issued by the UN;
Overturn the sentence issued on 6 March 2025 and release Pablo López Alavez in view of the lack of proper assessment of the evidence and failure to recognise his right to defend his territory;
Ensure effective protection measures for him and his family, who are still facing constant harassment and threats.