Mexican military executed 15 civilians following clashes: Report

Mexico City, Oct 22 (IANS/EFE) The Mexican military killed in cold blood 15 civilians who had earlier surrendered to the troops but the violent incident in the central state of Tlatlaya last June was later portrayed as a gunfight, says a report by the Mexican National Human Rights Commission (CNDH).

The events of Tlatlaya feature as one of the worst human rights violations on the part of the army, said CNDH president Raul Plascencia after presenting the report Tuesday.

According to the official version of the case, a military patrol in Tlatlaya clashed with an organized crime group June 30 which left 22 civilians dead.

However, Plascencia revealed that according to the final investigation, it was confirmed that 15 of the victims were killed by eight soldiers in a storehouse.

In a long report with statements from three survivors, the CNDH said that 12 of the alleged suspects who had surrendered and three others who were wounded were killed by the military.

It also said that the authorities altered the site of the incident to try and simulate a gunfight, and even provided the commission with photographs to cover up the execution.

Based on this information, the commission issued a recommendation to the Secretariat of National Defence, to the Office of the Attorney General and to the government of the state of Mexico.

The recommendation includes caring for the victims' families, preparing all military personnel to comply with protocols in such cases and investigating and prosecuting all those involved.

The attorney general so far has accused three soldiers of homicide and another for concealment of eight of the 22 civilian deaths.

Mexican Prosecutor Jesus Murillo described the killings as a very serious crime and classified it as homicide, although he said that it was still an open investigation and more people could be charged.

--IANS/EFE

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