Mexico City rights commission investigates six deaths at women's prison

The Mexico City Human Rights Commission (CDHCM) has confirmed it is actively investigating the deaths of six women who were incarcerated at the Santa Martha Acatitla women's prison in Iztapalapa.

The Second General Visitaduría of the CDHCM is compiling six separate case files in response to an equal number of complaints alleging human rights violations. Two of these complaints were initiated by the commission itself, while four were filed by individuals seeking justice. The commission stated it is monitoring the situation to identify and address the underlying structural issues that may have contributed to these fatalities.

In addition to these specific investigations, the CDHCM conducts weekly visits to penitentiary centers and holds regular meetings with prison authorities. These efforts aim to track the conditions of confinement and the processes of penal execution. The commission also maintains ongoing communication with inmates and their families to follow up on ongoing cases.

Despite the CDHCM's stated commitment to monitoring and supervision, a local PAN legislator, Olivia Garza, has filed a complaint against the commission. Garza expressed concern over what she described as the CDHCM's silence and abstention from issuing public statements regarding the deaths. She had previously filed a criminal complaint with the capital's Attorney General's Office (FGJ) concerning the deaths of the six inmates within a 90-day period.