Human rights commission to investigate cavers' complaints

Mexico’s governmental National Human Rights Commission said it has launched a formal investigation into complaints by a group of expelled British cavers about their detention by Mexican police.

The 13 members of the military caving team were expelled from Mexico on Monday after being detained for five days and investigated for visa irregularities, after rumours circulated they had been secretly prospecting for uranium.

Leaders of the team said they had not suffered any serious mistreatment during their five-day detention, but the group made several complaints to human rights authorities in Mexico over alleged sleep deprivation.

That allegedly consisted of being woken up frequently, and at odd hours, during their detention.

“The complainants considered that their human rights had been violated by the lack of a speedy decision regarding their legal situation, as well as by the denial of their right to rest,” the commission said in a press statement.

“The commission has initiated an investigation and is gathering evidence about the complaint … and will file a finding on it, which will be made public.”

The commission offered no time limit for finishing its investigation.

Six members of the team were trapped for more than a week by flood waters in caves at Cuetzalan, north east of Mexico City. They were rescued by divers, but all 13 were subsequently detained by Mexican authorities.

Mexico’s Attorney General’s office found no evidence of illegal activity such as prospecting. But the men were expelled from Mexico after immigration authorities said they had violated their tourist visas during the cavern expedition by claiming they were tourists while carrying out allegedly scientific activities.

The Britons dismissed that accusation, noting that even Mexican government tourism offices consider caving a sport, not scientific activity.