Kenia Hernández

Kenia Hernández
Born
Xochistlahuaca, Guerrero, Mexico
OccupationLawyer
OrganizationColectivo Libertario Zapata Vive
Known forDefending land rights and political prisoners
Criminal chargesRobbery with violence
Criminal penalty10 years imprisonment
Criminal statusDetained

Kenia Inés Hernández Montalván is a Mexican Amuzgo lawyer and human rights activist. She is the coordinator of the Colectivo Libertario Zapata Vive, a peasant movement that defending land rights in Mexico, as well as a member of the Movimiento Nacional por la Libertad de las y los Presos Políticos, a non-governmental organisation advocating for political prisoners. Hernández has been imprisoned since 2020 and has been described as a prisoner of conscience by human rights organisations.[1][2]

Arrests and imprisonment

Hernández was born in Xochistlahuaca, Guerrero, Mexico into an indigenous Amuzgo family.[3]

Hernández was arrested on 6 June 2020 while peacefully demonstrating at the Hortaliza–Valle de Bravo toll booth in the State of Mexico. She and around 40 other protesters were demanding the release of two young people from the Colectivo Libertario Zapata Vive, who had been detained for the previous nine months. Hernández was held in preventative detention for several days at Chiconautla Prison in Ecatepec de Morelos without being informed of the charges against her. On 11 June, she was informed that she had been charged with aggravated robbery, and was released on parole with conditions including not to demonstrate at toll booths.[4]

On 18 October 2020, Hernández was arrested again, in Amozoc de Mota, Puebla, by the police of the Attorney General's Office of the State of Mexico under an arrest warrant issued on 3 August.[5] Witnesses stated that violence was used in Hernández's arrest.[6] On 19 October, it was reported that she had been transferred to Almoloya de Juárez on charges of "robbery with violence".[7]

On 25 October 2020, shortly before she was due to be released, Hernández was arrested again on a new arrest warrant on charges of "attacks on communication routes" from the Attorney General of Mexico.[7] The prosecution asked for a five year and five month sentence for a protest Hernández took part in at the La Venta–Acapulco toll booth in Guerrero.[5] She was transferred to the Centro Federal de Readaptación Social Femenil No. 16 in Coatlán del Río, Morelos.[7]

On 5 February 2022, Hernández was sentenced to 10 years and six months' imprisonment for "robbery with violence" against Concesionaria Mexiquense SA de CV.[7] On 11 March, she was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison on charges of damaging a toll booth in the State of Mexico. Her lawyers argued that the crime was fabricated, presenting evidence stating that she was 600 kilometres away from the toll booth at the time of the crime.[8][9]

On 25 March 2022, Hernández was informed of a new investigation about "attacks on communication routes" in Guerrero, meaning she was investigated for the same crime in four states: Guerrero, Morelos, Guanajuato and Mexico.[10][11]

On 28 January 2024, Hernández was transferred from a prison in Coatlán del Río to Chiconautla state prison in Ecatepec, State of Mexico.[12]

Response

Human rights organisations and international bodies stated that Hernández had been the victim of mistreatment in prison, including discrimination, limited communication with her family and lawyers, and lack of access to health care and food.[13][14] Her health was reported to be in serious decline.[15]

On 8 June 2020, the National Human Rights Commission issued a statement concerning Hernández, demanding that authorities respect due process.[16] Following her second arrest in October 2020, it demanded respect for her human rights and presumption of innocence.[17]

On 25 May 2022, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressed concern that Hernández was part of a trend of the criminalisation of human rights activists in the region.[18]

On 18 August 2022, Mary Lawlor, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, demanded that the Mexican government immediately release Hernández due to the difficulties she experienced in prison in addition to her belief that the charges against Hernández "appear to be a direct reprisal for her legitimate and peaceful activities".[19]

The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, said on 30 December 2022 that while the occupation of toll booths was "illegal", a review of the case would go ahead.[20][21]

References

  1. ^ "Nueva investigación criminal en contra de Kenia Inés Hernandez Montalván suma 9 causas penales en contra de la defensora de derechos humanos". Front Line Defenders (in Spanish). 2022-03-24. Archived from the original on 2025-04-30. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  2. ^ Hernández Gómez, Diana (2022-07-14). "Desde penal, activista Kenia Hernández denuncia tortura psicológica contra ella y sus hijos". Cimacnoticias (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  3. ^ Lucero, Prometeo (2021-06-19). "Criminalización de la protesta: Kenia pisó 3 veces la cárcel por tomar casetas". Sílabo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2024-09-16. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  4. ^ "Detención arbitraria, agresiones físicas y acoso judicial contra las defensoras Kenia Inés Hernández y Claudia Elizabeth Herrera". Front Line Defenders (in Spanish). 2020-07-10. Archived from the original on 2025-05-17. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  5. ^ a b López Pérez, Emilia (2021-01-18). "Esto sabemos sobre Kenia Hernández y la petición de la FGR de 5 años de prisión". El Financiero (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2024-10-07. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  6. ^ Carvajal, Ricardo (2020-10-19). "Denuncian presunta detención ilegal de activista en Amozoc Kenia Hernández". El Sol de Puebla (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2025-09-21. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  7. ^ a b c d "Kenia Inés Hernández Montalván es sentenciada a diez años y seis meses de prisión". Front Line Defenders (in Spanish). 2022-02-22. Archived from the original on 2025-08-06. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  8. ^ Mendoza, Veneranda (2022-03-11). "Sentencian a la activista Kenia Hernández a 11 años de prisión". Proceso (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2024-11-02. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  9. ^ "Condenan a activista Kenia Hernández a 11 años de prisión; delito fue fabricado, dicen colectivas". El Financiero (in Spanish). 2022-03-14. Archived from the original on 2025-04-15. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  10. ^ "Nueva investigación criminal en contra de Kenia Inés Hernandez Montalván suma 9 causas penales en contra de la defensora de derechos humanos". Front Line Defenders (in Spanish). 2022-03-24. Archived from the original on 2025-04-30. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  11. ^ "Caso Kenia Hernández: suman 9 imputaciones penales contra la activista". Animal Político (in Spanish). 2022-03-22. Archived from the original on 2023-01-05. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  12. ^ "Trasladan a la activista amuzga Kenia Hernández a cárcel de Edomex". Quadratin Guerrero (in Mexican Spanish). 2024-01-28. Archived from the original on 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  13. ^ "México: Tratos inhumanos y criminalización contra Kenia Hernández". Federación Internacional por los Derechos Humanos (in Spanish). 2022-09-02. Archived from the original on 2024-09-11. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  14. ^ Xantomila, Jessica (2022-11-17). "Documentan ONGs violaciones a DH de la activista Kenia Hernández". La Jornada (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2023-01-05. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  15. ^ Bucio, Nora (2022-10-06). "Alertan sobre grave estado de salud de la defensora, Kenia Hernández". MVS Noticias (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2023-01-08. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  16. ^ "Demanda la CNDH se garantice un debido proceso en el caso de la activista Kenia Inés Hernández Montalván, quien fue detenida junto con tres adolescentes el pasado 06 de junio por elementos de la policía del estado de México. Personal comisionado de la CNDH brinda un acompañamiento cercano al caso, entrevistándose con la activista detenida" (PDF). Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos (in Spanish). 2020-06-08. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2025-06-07. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  17. ^ "CNDH demanda a las autoridades del EDOMEX a garantizar el debido proceso, los principios de presunción de inocencia e intervención mínima en el caso de la activista Kenia Inés Hernández Montalván" (PDF). Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos (in Spanish). 2020-10-22. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2025-06-07. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  18. ^ "CIDH: elevada violencia contra personas defensoras en el primer cuatrimestre de 2022 urge que los Estados protejan la vida y labor". Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) (in Spanish). 2022-05-25. Archived from the original on 2025-09-02. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  19. ^ "México: la detención arbitraria de Kenia Hernández (comunicación conjunta)". UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights (in Spanish). 2022-08-18. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  20. ^ Olivares, Emir; Sánchez, Arturo (2022-12-31). "La Jornada: Delitos federales cayeron un tercio y los homicidios 10%, asegura López Obrador". La Jornada (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2023-01-13. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
  21. ^ "Asegura AMLO que la activista Kenia Hernández sí cometió un delito, pero que "se le dará un trato justo"". AD Noticias (in Spanish). 2022-12-30. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
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