Doctoral student Esli Safir Romero Flores, a member of El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), was released under legal reservation after being detained following the March 8 demonstrations in Campeche. However, the lawyer stated that the investigation into alleged damage to the Government Palace will continue. The student's defense lawyer, Mario Humberto Moo, told the media that his client did not participate in the acts under investigation and that her detention occurred after she had already left the demonstration. 'She participated in the demonstration at the time, but as part of a block made up of teachers and students from El Colegio de la Frontera Sur. They were not involved in the block to which the damage to the Government Palace is attributed,' he explained. It is worth noting that a video of the student's detention moment was spread on social networks. According to the defense, when the persecutions following the incidents began, the student was at another point in the city. 'When the persecutions began, this girl was at the bus stop at the Parque de las Américas, and that is where she was detained,' he said. The defense indicated that after reviewing the available evidence, the Public Prosecutor's Office decided to grant her freedom while the investigation continues. 'The prosecutor's office resolved to grant her freedom under legal reservation, inasmuch as she has nothing to do with the facts being investigated,' he affirmed. The lawyer specified that at least nine other people are under investigation in the same case file and that, for now, he said, he is unaware of the legal status of the other detainees. You may be interested> Six men detained for causing damage in the Zócalo during the 8M march Release under legal reservation means that the Public Prosecutor's Office can continue to investigate and eventually call the student to appear before a control judge. Likewise, he said that the prosecutor's office has the time established by the statute of limitations of the crime to determine whether or not to exercise criminal action. In addition, he mentioned that during the detention, Esli Romero presented some injuries that were requested for certification before the Public Prosecutor's Office, which could have been caused during her detention. 'She does present some injuries, which she states were at the time of her detention,' he said, although he avoided delving into other possible effects due to it being confidential information. The lawyer maintained that, in his opinion, the detention occurred due to circumstances unrelated to the facts being investigated. 'I believe she was detained for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.' After her release, the student reserved the possibility for now of taking legal action against the authorities for her detention. Institutional statements In a statement released on March 9, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) expressed its concern for the situation of its student and asked the authorities to guarantee respect for human rights and due process. The institution noted that this position is in line with its institutional policy of 'zero tolerance for sexual harassment, sexual harassment, and any act of violence against women and for gender reasons,' and reiterated its solidarity with the student community. Meanwhile, the Network of Women and Men for an Informed Public Opinion with a Gender Perspective in Campeche (REDMYH) condemned what it called arbitrary detentions during the International Women's Day demonstrations, in which —according to the organization— around 40 people were arrested. In its statement, the network stated that several women were detained without a judicial order and in places other than where the investigated events occurred, and therefore demanded that the authorities guarantee the right to peaceful protest and respect for due process. 'Detaining those who march is not justice: it is repression,' the organization stated in its public position. At this time, state authorities have not provided official information on the matter.
