The Inter-American Court of Human Rights sanctions Mexico for having two men 17 years in prison without sentencing

After a legal process of almost two decades, the case of Daniel García and Reyes Alpízar has come to an end.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has communicated its sentence on Tuesday on the complaint made by the two men, who spent 17 years in prison without receiving a sentence.

The high international court has condemned Mexico in a historic ruling in which it orders the country to eliminate the controversial figure of informal preventive detention.

"The Court declared the international responsibility of the State of Mexico for the violation of the rights to personal integrity, personal liberty, judicial guarantees, equality before the law and judicial protection," reads the sentence.

Daniel García and Reyes Alpízar were arrested in 2002 accused of the murder of a PAN councilor, María de los Ángeles Tamés.

In a judicial process riddled with irregularities, the two men were detained without a judge's order, detained without a lawyer, tortured, threatened and forced to sign documents.

Both have always maintained their innocence.

They were released from jail in 2020, with an electronic bracelet.

But just two weeks ago, arbitrarily, Daniel García was arrested again and transferred to a prison in the State of Mexico.

Now, the Inter-American Court orders the immediate end of any criminal proceedings against them.

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