The Office in Mexico of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN-DH) today condemned the recent murders of two human rights defenders and a journalist who were under a protection mechanism of the Mexican government.
The defenders José Santiago Gómez Álvarez and Noé Jiménez Pablo, were found dead on January 17 in the municipality of Amatán, in the state of Chiapas, while the journalist José Rafael Murúa Manríquez, was killed last Sunday in the municipality of Mulegé , in the state of Baja California Sur.
Jiménez and Murúa were beneficiaries of the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, operated by the Ministry of the Interior.
“The fact that both Murúa and Jiménez were beneficiaries of the protection mechanism must lead to a profound reflection on their effectiveness, and the protection measures granted, as well as their implementation, effectiveness and follow-up, must be analyzed and evaluated,” said Jan Jarab , representative of UN-DH in Mexico, through a statement.
“In these cases the victims had previously denounced threats and harassment, pointing even to authorities responsible for these acts,” he added.
The representative explained that these complaints “should be investigated in a comprehensive manner, without leaving aside the lines that indicate a possible involvement of public servants and thus contribute to fight against impunity and prevent similar events.”
In addition, he called on the Mexican authorities to “fully clarify” these crimes and noted that “the best measure of protection and non-repetition in cases of attacks against defenders and journalists is a prompt and effective investigation that achieves justice for the victims.”
UN-DH called on the competent authorities to carry out prompt and effective investigations of the attacks against the defenders and the journalist, free from prejudice and in line with due process and to adopt effective care and protection measures for family members and colleagues of the victims.
In addition, these crimes must be fully clarified and he recalled that the best measure of protection and non-repetition in cases of attacks against defenders and journalists is “a prompt and effective investigation that achieves justice for the victims.”
The UN-DH called on the competent authorities to carry out prompt and effective investigations and pointed out that these activities “should be protected and encouraged” by the Mexican Government as a whole since “these are fundamental actors for a democratic State and straight”.
The assassinations of Gómez Álvarez and Jiménez Pablo were joined by the defender Sinar Corzo, which occurred on January 3, in Chiapas, with which three defenders were killed in 2019, while in 2018 there were 13 murders of rights defenders, registered in Mexico by UN-DH.
In the note, the UN-DH recalled that last year it had knowledge of at least 12 murders of journalists, same number as in 2017 and now 2019 began with the murder of Murúa Manríquez. (EFEUSA) .-
