Mexico Frees Seven Suspected Of Being Zapatista Rebels

Seven people suspected of being Zapatista rebels have been freed from jail, fulfilling part of a key condition for restarting government peace talks with the guerrilla organization.

The prisoners were released Friday night from the high-security Almoloya prison in Mexico State, outside the nation’s capital.

All seven were charged with stockpiling weapons, while two of them also were charged with manufacturing cartridges for guns.

There was no immediate reaction from the Zapatista National Liberation Army, which withdrew from talks in September. The group cited a number of conditions for returning to the table, including the release of suspected rebels from prison.

The Zapatista rebels rose up in the southern state of Chiapas on Jan. 1, 1994, demanding improved rights and basic services such as electricity and potable water for the region’s impoverished Indians.

More than 145 people were killed in fighting between government and rebel forces before a cease-fire took hold less than two weeks later.

The prisoners released Friday denounced the Attorney General’s office, accusing its agents of torturing and beating them after their.