UN expert says human rights defenders in Mexico are under increasing threat
May 13th, 2010 - 3:00 am ICT by BNO NewsUNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) – Human rights defenders in Mexico are under increasing threat, a group of United Nations experts said on Wednesday.
Rights defender Beatriz Alberta Cariño Trujillo and international observer Tyri Antero Jaakkola, who were on a monitoring mission in Oaxaca, were killed on April 27 when ambushed by paramilitaries. Several others, including journalists, were killed in the attack, and four members of the mission were rescued by the police after being stranded in the forest following the incident.
UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston, who focuses on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, acknowledged the complexity of the situation in Mexico and the challenges the country’s Government faces in fight against drug cartels.
“But there is no justification for failing to take strong steps when human rights defenders, journalists and others are killed,” he emphasized.
For his part, Special Rapporteur on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, James Anaya, voiced concern over the impact of the violence on San Juan Copala, where the recent attack took place, as well as on armed groups and the area’s population, mostly women and children belonging to the Triqui indigenous community.
Four Special Rapporteurs called on the Mexican Government “to take all necessary steps to protect the right to life and security of human rights defenders in the country against any violence and other arbitrary action which may be a consequence of the legitimate exercise of their activities.”
They called for a prompt and impartial investigation into the April 27 attack, noting that the international community will follow Mexico’s response to such events very closely.
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Tags: anaya, antero, arbitrary executions, bno, drug cartels, fundamental freedoms, human rights defenders, impartial investigation, indigenous community, indigenous people, international observer, legitimate exercise, mexican government, necessary steps, philip alston, rapporteurs, san juan copala, tyri, un special rapporteur, voiced concern