A married couple who was detained arbitrarily by community leaders in Montenegro in the San Juan Bautista Valle Nacional Municipality of Oaxaca State, Mexico, was released from detention on the afternoon of 23 July.

Tito Mariano Méndez and Esther Abigail Pérez Ramírez were detained on 20 July after community leaders learned that they had submitted a complaint to the Oaxaca State Ombudsman’s Office regarding violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) they were experiencing as Protestant Christians in a Roman Catholic majority community.

They were released after an agreement was reached between the community and Mr Mariano Méndez.

Mr Mariano Méndez was recovering from gallbladder surgery and undergoing treatment at the time of his detention. However, in a call the day after his release, it was confirmed that his health was stable and that he had continued with his post-operative treatment.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW welcomes news of the release of Tito Mariano Méndez and Esther Abigail Pérez Ramírez, who should never have been imprisoned in the first place. We call on community leaders in Montenegro to ensure that this couple are not subjected to any further harassment on account of their religious beliefs. We reiterate that the Mexican authorities at municipal, state and federal levels must do far more to ensure that the Law of Uses and Customs is implemented in accordance with the human rights guarantees laid out in the country’s constitution, starting with the education of local government officials and traditional leaders on human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief.’

Notes to Editors:

1. Montenegro is an indigenous Chinanteco-speaking community governed under Uses and Customs, which protects the right of indigenous communities to maintain their cultural and traditional methods of local governance with the caveat that it must be applied in line with human rights guarantees in the Mexican constitution and in international legislation to which Mexico is party. The Mexican constitution guarantees FoRB and other human rights to all citizens. However, in practice FoRB violations are common among indigenous communities governed under Uses and Customs and the Mexican government at the federal, state, and municipal levels does little to ensure that these protections are upheld. As a result, in many communities a religious majority attempts to enforce religious uniformity with consequences ranging in severity for members of minorities who wish to practice a religion or belief of their choosing.   
2. The FoRB violations in Montenegro have been carried out principally by C. Bulmaro Pérez Felipe, in coordination with community police officers, including Commander Alfredo Pérez García and C. Silvino Miguel Monterrey, Community Secretary C. Sixto Pérez Ríos, Community Treasurer Araceli Cruz Jiménez, and local justice officers Víctor Bautista José and Damián Cruz Jorge.