“Mr. Gerson Martinez was granted refugee status due to political persecution in the State of Mexico,” Pedro Cruz, an advocate for the former official, said after filing an appeal against the arrest warrant issued by the Second Court of Peace.

The Attorney General’s Office accuses Martinez of money laundering and illicit enrichment through receiving bonuses as public works officials in the first government of the left-wing Felmen party.

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“The Mexican government has been good to examine the data of this case, as well as the entire political, legislative and judicial situation of the country to firmly establish in a formal decision that Mr. Gerson Martinez is a politically persecuted person in El Salvador and is granted refugee status in accordance with Mexican laws and in accordance with international law,” Cruz said.

Cruz considered that the criminal prosecution against Martinez “does not have a very strong impact and that in other countries these illegal situations are considered and evaluated and were the object of this protection.”

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With refugee status due to political persecution, Martinez will be protected from potential Red Broadcasting and extradited to the country.

“With this, the trading process is halted in red and any attempted delivery is halted, because our client, with the timely action triggered, already has international legal protection,” Cruz said.