Mexico seals records in lopsided shootout that killed 42
Source: Associated Press
Mexico seals records in lopsided shootout that killed 42
Mar 2, 7:13 PM EST
By MARK STEVENSON
Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Mexico's transparency watchdog denied an appeal to release autopsy reports on 42 suspects killed by federal police in a gunbattle last year, backing the government's position with a decision that drew criticism from human rights groups Wednesday.
One police officer died in what authorities described as a clash with drug cartel suspects in the western state of Michoacan on May 22, but the lopsided 42-1 death toll drew suspicion.
The National Institute for Information Access last month ruled against a freedom-of-information request filed by The Associated Press in October. The quasi-independent agency ruled the information should be kept as a state secret for five years.
The institute also took the government's side in denying there was any evidence that human rights violations occurred at the ranch where the shooting occurred. It said it had reviewed the 12 volumes of reports in the case file on the events in Tanhuato, Michoacan, and essentially said the evidence indicated federal police acted correctly.
Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_MEXICO_VIOLENCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-03-02-17-13-29
= new reply since forum marked as read