After four years, the Mexican Supreme Court ruled to free 12 activists detained in the San Salvador Atenco case for blocking a highway to protest the mistreatment of flower vendors. In its decision, the court argued that the state had violated the freedom of association and right to expression of the protestors.
The Center for Human Rights Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez (Centro de Derechos Humanos, Centro Prodh), a grantee of the Open Society Latin America Program, worked on the case and provided arguments in defense of freedom of expression and thought. Much of their language was reiterated by the court in its written decision.
In its unprecedented ruling, the court emphasized the right to dissent, as well as the use of protest as a legitimate instrument for expressing opposition and demanding rights.