Juan Carlos Flores, human rights and land rights defender was released on Friday 23 January from the prison at San Pedro Cholula, Mexico, where he was had been held for 9 months.
The Federal Justice Department ruled this week that Flores should be released because none of the charges against him (intimidation, robbery, civil disorder, looting and assault on hydraulic structures) could be proven.
Juan Carlos had been arbitrarily detained since April 2014 and his case is an example of how the criminal justice system has been used to block social mouvements and criminalize their leaders, to the benefit of business interests attempting to take over their land.
Juan Carlos was included in the FIDH #ForFreedom campaign for the release of human rights defenders, arbitrarily detained throughout the world. at the request of FIDH member organizations in Mexico and especially with the support of the CMDPDH.