International
Former official linked to Ayotzinapa case remanded in custody
July 3 |
A Mexican federal judge prosecuted this Sunday for the crimes of torture and forced disappearance Gualberto Ramirez Gutierrez, who served as head of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Specialized Deputy Attorney General’s Office for Organized Crime Investigation (Seido) at the time of the disappearance of the 43 Ayotzinapa normalistas, in September 2014.
The Criminal Justice Control Judge, Juan José Hernández Leyva, determined that Ramírez Gutiérrez was a co-perpetrator of these crimes to the detriment of Felipe Rodríguez Salgado, identified as an alleged hitman for the Guerreros Unidos criminal organization, which is accused of the disappearance of the 43 students.
In addition, he ratified his preventive detention, considering that there is a risk of flight and that Ramirez Gutierrez Gutierrez intimidates an official of the Seido who testified against him. On the other hand, the judge gave a term of six months for the complementary investigation of the charges against him.
Ramírez Gutiérrez was arrested last June 26 and shares the accusation with the former Attorney General, Jesús Murillo Karam (arrested) and with the former head of the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC) of the then Attorney General’s Office, Tomás Zerón (Mexico is trying to extradite him from Israel, where he fled).
In addition to committing acts of torture, the judge considered that Ramírez Gutiérrez participated in illegal interrogations of Rodríguez Salgado in an illegal detention center operated by Tomás Zerón, who was based in the AIC facilities in the Lomas Sotelo neighborhood in the Mexican capital.
Amidst torture and beatings, Rodríguez Salgado was threatened with death there if he did not confess to having participated in the kidnapping and disappearance of the Ayotzinapa students. He remained in prison for four years and was finally acquitted of the charges.
After intense investigations, it has been determined that Ramírez Gutiérrez, Murillo Karam and Tomás Zerón participated in a meeting on October 7, 2014, in which they shaped the so-called “historical truth” of the Ayotzinapa case, according to which all the normalistas were incinerated in the landfill of Cocula, Guerrero state.
Subsequent investigations indicate that they lied to hide the truth from Mexican society and prevent justice from being done in a clear case of State terrorism, committed during the six-year term of office of former President Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018).
In this regard, the Undersecretary of Human Rights, Population and Migration, Alejandro Encinas, valued that the arrest of Ramírez Gutiérrez represents an important step towards truth and justice.
International
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
The Chinese government emphasized on Monday the importance of “creating the conditions to return to the proper path of dialogue” between Iran and Israel, which have exchanged attacks in recent days resulting in more than 20 Israeli and over 220 Iranian deaths.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed deep concern at a press conference over the Israeli attacks on Iran and the “sudden escalation” of the military conflict.
Guo called on all parties to “take immediate measures to ease tensions and prevent the region from descending into further turmoil,” stating that “force cannot bring lasting peace.”
“If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify or even expand, the countries of the Middle East will be the first to suffer the consequences,” he added, while noting that China “will continue to maintain communication with the relevant parties, promoting peace and dialogue.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke last Saturday with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to condemn the Israeli airstrike on Iranian territory, which he described as a “violation of international law” with the potential to trigger “disastrous” consequences.
In both calls, Wang reiterated China’s rejection of the use of force, defended diplomacy as the only solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute, and offered China’s mediation to prevent further destabilization in the Middle East.
International
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Sunday the arrest of Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the main suspect in the killing of Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in a Brooklyn Park suburb on Friday night.
Boelter, who also reportedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife early Saturday morning, was apprehended in Sibley County following an intensive manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers.
In a public statement, Governor Walz condemned Boelter’s “unthinkable actions,” which resulted in the death of a woman who “shaped the core of who we are as a state.”
“We cannot become numb to this. We are a deeply divided nation,” Walz said in a statement posted on his X account.
“We move forward not with hatred or violence, but with humility, grace, and civility,” he added.
Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, Walz said the entire state of Minnesota is in mourning. He also thanked law enforcement for their bravery and professionalism: “They have saved lives,” he emphasized.
“As we heal, we will not let fear win,” Walz concluded. “We must honor Melissa by moving forward with understanding, service, and above all, humanity.”
Throughout Sunday, police and sheriff units searched a rural area in Minnesota for Vance Luther Boelter, a security company director and preacher who, according to Governor Walz, acted out of politically motivated violence.
International
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
Approximately 40,000 tourists are stranded in Israel following the closure of the country’s airspace amid escalating hostilities with Iran, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism reported on Monday.
The ministry has set up a virtual office to provide information via email (virtual@goisrael.gov.il) and phone (+972-53-583-5808), as well as a Facebook page called Israel Virtual Tourist Office.
Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz is in contact with hotels and accommodations across the country to offer support to tourists in need, the ministry added.
Many stranded travelers are considering crossing overland into Jordan or Egypt to seek flights from those countries. The Israel Airports Authority reminded the public that land border crossings remain open.
Three German tourists stranded in Jerusalem told EFE today that they have not received any assistance from their country’s embassy in Israel, and their primary option currently is to cross into Jordan to catch a flight from there.
Since early Friday morning, Israel launched operations against Iran, targeting military personnel and infrastructure, including energy and nuclear facilities, as well as numerous residential areas in Tehran.
In response, Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which have struck various locations across the country, leaving at least 24 dead so far, according to Israeli authorities.
Iranian health officials report at least 224 deaths, mostly civilians, including at least 17 senior military officials—nine from the Revolutionary Guard—and more than a dozen nuclear scientists.
The Israeli military has warned that many more “targets” remain, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared on Monday that it will continue missile attacks against Israel until its “destruction.”
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
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