hostage

Florence Cassez, victim of Mexican injustice

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:31:06 +0100

This comment was sent to us by one of our Observers for Mexico, Gabriel Infante. The information has not been verified by France 24 journalists.

In the past week I posted a series of commentaries on my blog as well on The Observers, where I said openly that I gave Florence Cassez the benefit of the doubt of her innocence, but basically the center of my commentaries was to expose the dark background of the man who is in charge of the Mexican federal police and to fight the organized crime, Genaro García Luna, with the only intention to give you more facts that would allow you a better understanding of the situation that Florence Cassez is facing right now in Mexico.

A lot of the facts that I exposed, many of you, may seem beyond belief , but these are reliable facts. These were known to the Mexican public opinion last November, when the book "The Accomplices of the President"(Los cómplices del presidente), written by the Mexican National Journalism Award 2002, Anable Hernández, came out for sell. Unfortunately many Mexicans don't even know about the book or they refused to accept the veracity of what is stated there. The truth is that the book is well documented with reliable sources and until now any of what is expose there hasn't been denied by the people who is mention in this book.

In brief, the book reveals and puts in evidence the network of complicity, corruption, traffic of influence of the two more trusted and closest collaborators of President Felipe Calderón. The late Minister of Interior, Juan Camilo Mouriño, - who died on a plane crash in Mexico City on the night of November 4^th 2008- and Genaro García Luna, Minister of Public Security. The first one used his political position to benefit his family business and the second one in charge of fighting the organized crime is pointed out to have links with them.

Anabel Hernández recently published an article on the online magazine "Reporte Indigo" titled "Simulation or justice? " where she narrates, base on Florence Cassez case file (PGR/SIEDO/UEIS/190/2005), that Reporte Indigo had access to, the first ministerial testimonies of the victims during and after there captivity, including the former boyfriend of Florence Cassez, Israel Vallarta, where it apparently demonstrates her innocence.

The following are some parts of the transcript of Anabel Hernández article that I found very revealing.

The AFI pressured Cristina, the hostage mom

... She also narrate the moment of her rescue. Her testimony leaves in evidence that the AFI deceived her.

... in that moment I open my eyes and I noticed that the person hooded had a uniform with the acronyms of the AFI, immediately they took us out of the house and they aboard us to an AFI patrol and they brought us to this office; while we were aboard on the patrol I notice two person faced toward the wall, a man and a blond woman; learned by one of the police man, that these persons where detained in the house where we were in captivity, but I ignore the participation that they had in my abduction", declared Cristina.

However, the AFI lied, because Florence Cassez was detained, according with the file case, while traveling on a car in the highway Mexico- Cuernavaca.

During the present diligence I saw the persons that now I have knowledge that their names correspond to Israel Vallarta Cisnero and Marie Luise Cassez Crepin, and after observing them carefully I manifest that I don't know these persons and it's the first time I see them, that's because the persons detained that I saw in the security house, they were giving me their back, but they wore the same cloths. I also heard articulate some words and I manifest that I don't recognized their voices, that is because the voices of my different captors was more hoarse and I consider that they always fake it. I also want to point out that I never saw physically my captors, so it would be difficult for me to identify physically and I am aware by the AFI agents that these persons that they detained are two of my kidnappers, for which I claim the crime of unlawful deprivation of liberty in the form of kidnapping committed toward my person and grievance to my youngest son, Cristian Hilario Ramírez Ríos and I proceed against Israel Vallarta and Marie Luise Cassez Crepin and who or whom found responsible", stated the victim to the public prosecutor.

...The minor Cristian Hilario, assisted by an lawyer and accompanied by his father, also presented his declaration on December 9^th 2005. He did recognized fully Israel Vallarta, because of his voice as the "chief" of the gang, that is because he was the one who gave the orders.

Likewise he pointed out the person by the name of Florence Marie Louise Cassez Crepin, did not recognized her neither physically nor the voice", stated the minor. [..]

Israel confession

...According to Israel Vallarta testimony he started getting fully involve with the gang and recognized to have participated in six kidnappings. His role was taking care of the victims and talking to them "to calm them down". That's how he met Cristina Ríos Valladares and his son Cristian in Octuber 2005, whom he talk to them frequently.

He also admitted to have met Ezequiel Yadir, but he couldn't talk to him, because "Salustio" told him that it was a personal affaire with the former partner of the business. He was referring to Ezequiel father, Enrique Elizalde Menchaca.

According to his declaration, when Eustaquio, one of the partners de "Sagitario", he wanted to put pressure to the victims family by mutilating the hostages, he defended them, which cause the anger of the members of the gang.

"...to get out of the problem with Salustio, he told me if I really love them so much these victims why don't I take them to my house, that's the reason why since two weeks ago (by end of November 2005) in company of Salustio, we transfer Mrs. Cristina and he sons Cristian to my house", stated the ministerial statement.

Later on they brought in Ezquiel Yadir Elizalde, stated that he had the three in the house which he rented in Las Chinitas Ranch.

It should be clarify at the back of the ranch is where I live, I have a small cottage, in which about three months ago, my girlfriend by the name of Florence Marie Luise Cassez Crepin, which I have know her approximately a year ago, when I run into her on an elevator, same one which currently she spends all t day working in a hotel by the name of Fiesta Americana of Polanco, reason for which she didn't had knowledge that I had people kidnapped inside my house".

The article is very long, about five pages, but the essence of it reveals once again the intervention of the AFI in modifying the "crime scene" lies, deceive and pressuring the victims to incriminate individuals without having the certainty. The patron of this case is very much similar of the other cases that Anabel Hernández exposes in her book.

To read the full article (in Spanish).

For the Mexicans, Cassez is a criminal and Sarkozy a hypocrite

Sophie Team Observers — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:24:08 +0100

Police photos of Florence Cassez when she was arrested in December 2005.

Both the press and politicians in France have come to the defence of a French woman condemned to sixty years of jail in Mexico for kidnapping charges. Former victims of the crime however see the accused in a much darker light.

Found guilty of kidnapping and carrying arms, 34-year-old Florence Cassez was sentenced to 60 years in prison by a Mexican court. The French citizen however, insists that she's innocent. Her defenders call on case irregularities and contradictions in the witness statements. Even President Nicolas Sarkozy has demanded her return to France to serve out her sentence - something which has outraged the Mexican public, especially victims of the criminal gang which Cassez was supposedly part of. For them, there's no doubt that the former girlfriend of ringleader Israel Vallarta is guilty.

Unedited images of Ingrid Betancourt's rescue

Sophie Team Observers — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:01:41 +0200

This unseen footage of Ingrid Betancourt's rescue has just been released by a Colombian television channel, a month after she was released. The document, now available on YouTube, contains over an hour of footage.

The footage has been divided into four parts. The first is an overview of the operation.

The second part shows the preparation and rehearsals that went into "Operation Jaque" (checkmate in Spanish).

The third part was shot in the rescue helicopter just minutes before the disguised rescuers were to attempt to capture the prisoners.

The fourth part shows her release. After tricking the Colombian militants, the rescuers tell the hostages that they're free. Here's their reaction.

Ingrid's liberation seen from Bogota: "The whole room was cheering"

Sophie Team Observers — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:47:08 +0200

Update (07/07/08): Below, a video released by the Colombian army on Friday which has caused controversy.

When the Colombian authorities announced that Ingrid Betancourt had been freed, one of our Observers was travelling through Bogota airport. He tells us about the wave of emotion that followed the news as it spread through the crowds.

Hostage Brit pleads for release in new video

Julien — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:20:50 +0100

After being captured by 40 gunmen at the Iraqi Finance Ministry in Baghdad last May 29, one of five British workers has been shown alive in a video appeal to the UK. The man, who identifies himself as Peter Moore, who was working in Baghdad for the Canadian security firm GardaWorld, has not been seen since his capture. The people detaining him are thought to be a splinter group of the Mehdi Army, which the US believes is Iran-controlled. They are demanding the release of nine Islamic Shia Resistance members in exchange for the five Brits, but British troops have said that they no longer hold any prisoners. The UK foreign office simply condemned the airing of the video and called for the release of the hostages.

Statement from the father of one of the FARC hostages

Julien — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:58:15 +0100

Will they stay or will they go? While everyone eagerly awaits the liberation of Clara Rojas, her son Emmanuel and the former lawmaker Consuelo González Pérdomo, our Observers report on the atmosphere in Colombia. The father of hostage Ismael Márquez hopes that the release of some of the prisoners will speed up the process for his son, who’s been held captive since 1999. Meanwhile, Ingrid Betancourt's stepson reminds us that as the FARC’s most high-profile hostage, she will be the last to leave.

Finally, proof of life

Julien — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:50:00 +0100

By Team Observers

The Colombian government has just issued the first images of the French-Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt since 2003. For her distraught family, the images are proof that Betancourt, who was captured by FARC rebels in Feb. 2003, is still alive. The Colombian government said the video was taken from three FARC guerillas captured by the army. For more information go to France 24.