Romanian photographer who was detained in Mexico was released

Romanian photographer Mircea Topoleanu, arrested on Saturday, December the 1st, in Mexico, was released.

Mircea Topoleanu was detained by police during a protest against the new president of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto, manifestation where he only took pictures.

The Romanian photographer was detained in Mexico for a week, being officially arrested for disturbing public order and would have risked, if he was found guilty, from 5 to 30 years in prison.

Along with Mircea Topoleanu were arrested also another 68 people.

The photographer is at Migration Service in Mexico

The photographer was released, but now is at Migration Services in Mexico, where he will stay until Tuesday, because the law provides so there for foreigners.

I have not yet managed to talk with Mircea Topoleanu, as he is still not carrying a cell phone with him and is allowed to make one phone call there, from Migration Service, and that, obviously, to the family.

"Families were waiting at the prison with messages and screaming, applauding," says Ana Topoleanu, the Romanian photographer’s sister.

"With Mircea, is the prison’s obligation for any foreign prison who gets there, after he is released, to be directly led to migration. The prison director allowed me to see him before they take him fom there - because all families were to embrace and I saw all these things and Mircea will not come out - so they gave me the permission to go to prison, "said Ana Topoleanu.

"Mircea is fine, with many new friends, all the people that were there ... they made some very close friendships, because there are many students, journalists, painters, many people are very nice there and they encouraged each another, " declared for Radio Romania Actualitati, Ana Topoleanu.

Mircea Topoleanu told his sister that they treated him nicely in prison and that he befriended with those who were arrested along with him.

Translated by Alexandra-Diana Mircea
MTTLC, Bucharest University