Mexican congress expands pre-trial detention to more crimes

MEXICO CITY – Mexico’s congress has voted to expand the number of crimes subject to pre-trial detention without bail.

Congress expanded the list of crimes not eligible for bail to include corruption, electoral crimes, fuel theft, armed robbery, weapons possession and others.

Currently, pre-trial detention is mandatory only for the most serious crimes like murder, kidnapping and treason. The changes to the Constitution must still be approved by a majority of Mexico’s state legislatures.

Rights groups criticized the move, while business groups praised it Thursday.

Business groups say they have been hit by a rising wave of robberies.

But the United Nations said bail should be considered on a case-by-case basis, and rejected excluding it automatically.