Chiapas massacre convicts set free

Mexico's Supreme Court has ordered the immediate release of 20 men jailed for the massacre of 45 indigenous villagers more than a decade ago in Acteal, Chiapas. The judges said the basic rights of the jailed men had been violated, but made it clear they were not ruling on the men's guilt or innocence. The 1997 attack took place in southern Chiapas state, which was deeply divided at the time over a Zapatista uprising. The court's ruling was met with dismay by relatives of the victims. They also warned of the risk of renewed violence if the freed men returned to their communities. The brutal attack took place three days before Christmas in 1997 in the remote mountain village of Acteal.