During the first week of January, 1999, Mexico's Attorney General

(PGR) arrested, jailed and charged five members of the elected

leadership of Section IX of the SNTE with kidnapping, inciting to riot

and robbery for leading a peaceful protest inside the chambers of the

Mexican Senate in November, 1998. They face fifty year sentences. They

are not allowed bail. The trial may be two years away.

We now need to focus our attention on our first legal appeal. Given

the extraordinary international and national campaign that have

exposed these charges as purely political, it is quite possible the

teachers will be freed on this appeal. The Senators who said they were

"kidnapped" now say they weren't. The things that were reported stolen

(documents and ashtrays) have now reappeared.

Within this week, a Tribunal of the Mexican Supreme Court will hear an

appeal of the charges. The Tribunal could rule there is no evidence

to support the alleged crimes and free the teachers, or it could

charge them with lesser crimes and release them on bail.

We need supporters to fax letters immediately to the President of the

Supreme Court. Ask him to enforce the law. Ask him to free the

teachers since their accusers have not been able to support the

charges against the them, yet the teachers remain in jail. Also,

remind him that these jailed union leaders are teachers and are not

common criminals. His fax number is: +525 522-0152.

Ministro Genaro David Gongora Pimentel

Presidente de la Suprema Corte de Justicia

Av. Pino Suarez No. 2

Centro Historico, Mexico, D.F

Please fax copies of your letters to the newspaper, La Jornada +525

262-4356, and to the Coalition's Mexican Section at +525 207-8019 or

US office (360) 709-9450.

The jailed teachers are: Blanca Luna, Secretary General; Maria Refugio

Jimenez,Press Secretary; Elio Bejarano and Nestor Trujano, members of

the Policy Commission; Raul Vargas, Legal advisor. They are all

members of Section IX of the SNTE. This section represents 58,000

preschool, primary and special education teachers in the Federal

District.

For a more in depth report on this past month of organizing to free

the teachers,email:

sanpatricio@igc.apc.org

or

mariluz@servidor.unam.mx.