Another activist arrested in Brad Will case; government seeks eight more

This is very, very, very bad and comes in the context of other arrests of APPO members for other protest-related crimes. As Angry White Kid points out, this is quite possibly an attempt to pick off as many leaders as possible before a very important moment in Oaxaca: the anniversary of Brad's death (along with so many others) and the PFP invasion of Oaxaca is coming up, the Day of the Dead is coming up (when I almost got kidnapped at gunpoint last year by Oaxacan cops), and a huge APPO assembly is also coming up.

Everyone who protested in front of the Mexican embassy and consulates when Oaxacan government officials murdered Brad, now is the time to mobilize, because it's getting ugly.

Octavio is free on bail, and another man is arrested in Bradley case

Three activists have been arrested so far; authorities seek another eight

by Sayra Cruz
translated by Kristin Bricker

Oaxaca, Oax. October 17, 2008

(Quadratin).- After being detained in Santa Maria Ixcotel for over 24 hours, Octavio Perez Perez, the person who allegedly covered up the murder of Bradley Roland Will, was released Friday evening after paying a MX$25,000 bail, according to Alba Cruz Ramos, a member of the "November 25" Judicial Freedom Commission.

In an interview with Quadratin, the lawyer noted that this committee is only helping out in the judicial situation of those allegedly involved in the death of US journalist Bradley Roland Will, which occurred on October 27, 2006.

She also noted that because of the nature of the crimes that were attributed to Perez, in this case "cover up, his release on bail was possible after the family paid $25,000 pesos."

Cruz Ramos said that Juan Manuel Martinez Moreno's situation is more complicated because he is directly accused of being responsible for the murder of the independent videographer.

"We will continue help out in defending these people. We're not the ones responsible for the case, but we are following how it advances and the continuing proceedings," she said.

She said that the dossier that was presented to the Fourth Instance Criminal Court judge in the Criminal Case 155/2008 consists of 18 volumes, meaning that reviewing it will be difficult and will take time.

Yesterday they detained Hugo Colmenares Leyva as another one of the people who allegedly covered up for Juan Manuel, and at 6pm he appeared before the judge in charge of his case to make his statement.

Alba Cruz Ramos was confident that he, too, will be released on bail like Octavio Perez.

For it's part, the Attorney General's Office (PGR in its Spanish initials) had said in a press release that it will detain nine other people. With Colmenares Leyva's detention, 8 remain.