MARINE IMPRISONED IN MEXICO ARGUES HE NEEDS PTSD TREATMENT IN US (STA BREAKING NEWS and ARCHIVES)

by STANews , Thursday, October 23, 2014, 13:46

There’s no dispute retired marine sergeant Andrew Tahmooressi drove with three loaded guns in his truck into Mexico, where firearms are illegal.

Tahmooressi says he got lost on a California freeway ramp that sent him across the border with no way to turn back. His attorney argues Mexican customs officials also violated his rights by holding him for some eight hours without notifying the US consulate or getting a translator.

But arguing those points could mean a long time in jail for the 26-year-old Afghanistan war veteran.

Instead, his lawyer is relying on another argument to win his freedom in the shortest time possible: He needs to be release so he can go home to get treatment for his combat-related post-traumatic stress, which Mexican authorities don’t treat even in their own soldiers.

The case marks one of the first times Mexico could make a ruling on PTSD – though the psychological wound is increasingly used in US courts, especially in arguing for reduced sentences.

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http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/oct/23/us-marine-andrew-tahmooressi-ptsd-mexico-prison