We are happy to be able to share some good news we have received today: The cancellation of the temporary residence permits of two volunteers of the Peace Brigades International (PBI) Guatemala Project has been reversed.¹

After a meeting held between the Interior Minister, Mr Mauricio López Bonilla and the diplomatic personnel of various European embassies, we have been informed that the situation was down to an unfortunate misunderstanding with regards to the identity of the named individuals.

OPEN LETTER: CANCELLATION OF TEMPORARY RESIDENCE PERMITS OF TWO VOLUNTEERS OF PEACE BRIGADES INTERNATIONAL
A new attack against the right to defend rights

JOINT STATEMENT ON THE EU CONCLUSIONS ON THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GUIDELINES ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

June 24, 2014, Mexico City.- On June 10, the Paso del Norte Human Rights Center (PdNHRC), an organization accompanied by Peace Brigades International (PBI), released a statement about the absolution of brothers Juan Antonio Figueroa Gomez and Jesus Ivan Figueroa Gomez, and Misael Sanchez Fausto.

Human rights defenders, NGOs, EU and Member State representatives join to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the European Union's Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders

Mexico City, 26 May 2014. Peace Brigades International – Mexico Project (PBI Mexico) has observed with great concern the recent trend to restrict the rights to freedom of expression and social protest in different Mexican states and, consequently, to limit the work of human rights defenders in the country.

Mexico City, 15 May 2014. Between 12 and 14 May, PBI participated in the 2014 European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) Forum, which focused on the progresses and challenges regarding the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs). During the forum, the European Union policies and mechanisms for the protection of HRDs were analyzed, especially the Guidelines on HRDs, which were adopted 10 years ago.

Mexico City, 7 May 2014. Peace Brigades International – Mexico Project (PBI Mexico) expresses strong concern over recent acts of aggression against human rights defenders (HRDs) and migrants that have taken place in different states throughout Mexico, as well as the high level of risk to which these persons are still exposed.

Concretely, PBI Mexico expresses concern over the following reported incidents:

6 May, 2014

On April 27, 2010, while Jyri Jaakkola and Bety Cariño were setting up a humanitarian and human rights convoy in the vicinity of the indigenous community of San Juan Copala, they were fatally attacked by a paramilitary group known as UBISORT.

Mexico City, 30 April 2014. Today the Chamber of Deputies followed the example of the Senate and unanimously passed the reform to curtail the reach of military jurisdiction in cases of violations committed by military personnel against civilians.