Fredy Garcia Ramirez, who at the time served as spokesman for the Committee for the Defense of Indigenous Rights (CODEDI), was arbitrarily arrested on November 6th, 2019. CODEDI is an organization that has a long-term commitment to the promotion of the rights of indigenous communities to land, autonomy and self-determination. It focuses on the defense of human rights violations produced by hydroelectric and mining projects in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Through a statement, Oaxaca Consortium recalled that on November 6th, 2019, Fredy Omar was detained “in a violent and arbitrary manner” when he was on his way to a meeting with public officials. After eight hours as a disappeared person, Fredy “appeared before a judge, who, despite the delay and serious violations of his rights, described the detention as legal,” the group reported.

For their part, colleagues from CODEDI reported at a press conference that, a year after Fredy’s arrest, to date he has not been given a dignified trial, in addition to being the object of serious human rights violations.

In addition, they stated that Fredy García “continues with his work as a human rights defender within the prison” through multiple actions demanding respect for the basic rights of food, health and work of all prisoners; the denunciation of the prevailing health conditions, as well as episodes of violence against him in prison, a fact that international organizations publicly denounced.

“All these violations of the rights of the defender are added to a long list of grievances against CODEDI including assassinations, arbitrary arrests, constant threats and harassment that continue to go unpunished and that constitute a strategy to end the legitimate work of the organization and that reduce the work of organizations and human rights defenders in Oaxaca,” Consortium denounced.

The demands are, among others, the “immediate and unconditional” release of Fredy Garcia Ramirez; the investigation and punishment of officials responsible for the violations committed against the human rights defender and the cessation of all attacks and guarantees for the work of defense of human rights of CODEDI and the organizations and defenders in Oaxaca.

Fredy's trial has been postponed indefinitely due to the pandemic.