Jailed Mexican general moved to civilian prison


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Jailed Mexican general moved to civilian prison

May 23, 1999
Web posted at: 7:06 PM EDT (2306 GMT)

MEXICO CITY, May 23 (Reuters) -- A jailed general who is considered a
prisoner of conscience by human rights groups was moved to a civilian
prison due to "frictions" between the general, other inmates and military
prison administrators, reports said on Sunday. 

General Jose Francisco Gallardo was moved late on Saturday from the First
Military Region Prison to a civilian prison in Nezahualcoyotl, a suburb of
Mexico City, official news service Notimex said, citing a national Defence
Ministry news release. 

The move came one day after a group of 125 university professors
petitioned President Ernesto Zedillo to free Gallardo, saying he was
unfairly imprisoned because of his criticism of internal military justice
administration. 

Gallardo was arrested in 1993 and is serving a 28-year sentence after he
was convicted last year of misuse of public funds, destruction of army
property and illegal enrichment. 

But London-based Amnesty International and other human rights groups say
the charges against Gallardo were manufactured after he published an
article calling for an independent ombudsman to monitor human rights in
the army. 

The Defence Ministry said the move followed an exhaustive investigation
that turned up continuous "inconformity, complaints and frictions
generated by Gallardo with other prisoners and administrative personnel of
the military prison." 

Copyright 1999 Reuters
 
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