On 6 March 2025, the First Court for the Conclusion of Traditional Criminal Cases in Oaxaca will hold the sentencing hearing for Pablo López Alavez, an indigenous Zapoteco human rights defender who has been imprisoned for over 14 years without just cause. López Alavez, a prominent environmental and indigenous rights activist from San Isidro Aloápam, Oaxaca, has been held in Villa de Etla Regional Prison since 2010, despite significant concerns over the legality of his detention and trial.
Before his arrest, López Alavez played an instrumental role in protecting the forests of his community from illegal logging and advocating for environmental sustainability. His work, however, put him at odds with powerful local interests in the illegal timber industry, leading to his wrongful detention.
In August 2010, López Alavez was abducted by masked individuals, forced into a vehicle, and later accused of involvement in a 2007 murder, despite having no connection to the crime. His subsequent legal proceedings have been marked by numerous irregularities and violations of due process, drawing national and international condemnation.
The Defensoría de los Derechos Humanos del Pueblo de Oaxaca (Oaxaca Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office) issued a report in 2015 highlighting these legal flaws, and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) issued an opinion in 2017, declaring his detention arbitrary and a result of his legitimate activism. The WGAD called for his immediate release.
International organizations, including Front Line Defenders, have repeatedly raised concerns over the criminalization of indigenous defenders like López Alavez, warning that such practices are indicative of systemic racism and state-led violence against environmental and human rights activists in Mexico. On 18 September 2024, Consorcio Oaxaca released a report on the case, describing it as a stark example of the criminalization of indigenous defenders in Mexico.
Additionally, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, in November 2024, voiced concerns over López Alavez’s case and other indigenous defenders facing similar unjust detentions. The Rapporteur is actively engaging with the Mexican government regarding these issues.
As the sentencing hearing approaches, human rights organizations continue to call for López Alavez’s immediate release and an end to the criminalization of indigenous activists. Consorcio Para el Diálogo Parlamentario y Equidad, Front Line Defenders, and others urge the Oaxaca court to heed international human rights recommendations and release López Alavez, ensuring justice for both him and his community.
For more information, international advocacy groups remain vocal about the case and the ongoing struggle for the rights of indigenous defenders in Mexico.
