Court had outlined a series of actions designed to implement training courses on the
standards of the inter-American system for the protection of human rights “in relation to the
limits of the military jurisdiction, judicial guarantees and judicial protection, and also the
international standards applicable to the administration of justice and […] the proper
prosecution of the crime of forced disappearance.” It also indicated that, on September 23
and 24, 2011, the SCJN had organized an introductory training seminar for approximately
1,800 of the country’s federal judges and magistrates focused, among other matters, on
examining the judgments of the Inter-American Court in cases relating to Mexico, including
the Judgment handed down in the case of Radilla Pacheco.23 In addition, it stressed, from
2010 to 2012, “jurisdictional and juridical” officials had taken part in different academic
programs and seminars on topics such as the forced disappearance of persons and the
military jurisdiction. Furthermore, the State advised that the Judiciary of the Federation had
implemented “itinerant workshops [on] the impact of the constitutional reform of amparo,
and of human rights, on jurisdictional activities,” which were organized in three stages24 and
in conjunction with the Federal Council of the Judicature, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the
National Commission of Superior Courts of Justice, the Mexican Association of Dispensers of
Justice, and the Office in Mexico of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights. According to the State, one of the objectives of these workshops was “to share with
the heads of district and circuit courts different ways of applying extensive control of
conformity with the Convention by examining a practical case on the issue of forced
disappearance and the military jurisdiction.”
32.
Regarding the training of agents of the Public Prosecution Service of the Prosecutor
General’s Office (PGR), the State indicated that, from July 9 to 30, 2011, it had imparted
the course “Forced disappearance of persons and international criminal law on human
rights,” in the National Institute of Criminal Science. Moreover, among other training
activities,25 on May 19 and August 10, 2012, the Deputy Ombudsman for attention to
victims and community services of the PGR imparted a 50-hour specialization course on
“Human rights, and forced disappearance of persons” to 37 PGR officials.
33.
Furthermore, regarding the training for members of the military forces, the State
advised that the Defense Secretariat (SEDENA) had imparted different courses addressed at
this sector, particularly “as part of the module on ‘Human rights and international
humanitarian law’ that is one of the Officers’ Training Courses,26 […] and of the courses of
23
This seminar was offered in the following places: Puebla, León, Saltillo, Mazatlán, Tuxtla Gutiérrez and the
Federal District. According to the State, around 90 speakers took part, including the Justices of the Supreme Court
of Justice of the Nation, members of the Federal Council of the Judicature, and representatives of the InterAmerican Commission and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Juridical Research Institute of the
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), the Institute of Public Policies of Mercosur, the Latin American
School of Social Sciences (FLACSO), the Electoral Court of the Judiciary of the Federation, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, and the Secretariat of the Interior.
24
The first stage was held during March and April 2012; the second stage, in May 2012, and the third stage
on December 6, 2012, and it culminated on February 28, 2013. According to the State, the workshops included
lectures in different cities attended by 820 heads of federal courts and tribunals. In addition, “36 discussion and
analysis roundtables were organized with personnel from the Inter-American Commission and the Inter-American
Court of Human Rights as the main speakers,” and with the participation of 891 judges. Also, special material had
been designed to study “precedents of forced disappearance of persons, the military jurisdiction, due process of
law, and judicial protection,” and this was distributed to participants.
25
For example, “on March 14, 2011, a conference was held in the PGR on ‘The INAH: Tasks and
responsibilities’” relating to the performance of functions relating to the prosecution of cases. In addition, a course
on the “investigation and prosecution of acts that constitute forced disappearance of persons” was held in this
entity from November 28 to 30, 2011.
26
According to the information provided by the State, these courses were held in the following entities:
“Heroico Colegio Militar, Colegio del Aire, Escuela Médico Militar, Escuela Militar de Odontología, Escuela Militar de
12