Mexico City- Yesterday June 26, Urgent Action for Human Rights Defenders (Acción Urgente para Defensores de los Derechos Humanos, A.C., ACUDDEH) and the Cerezo Committee presented the first 'Report on human rights violations against human rights defenders (HRDs) in the period 2011 - first quarter of 2012'. During 2011, 209 violations of HRDs were reported and there were 47 cases from January to March 2012.
The report points to Oaxaca as the federal entity with the largest number of people affected, and Chihuahua to the largest number of cases with a single victim. Of all the states of the Republic, only in 12 were these violations documented and publicly denounced. The report also stated that there is a tendency to attack people with leadership roles in organizations.
The document aims to show patterns or trends of aggression. In regard to the type, threats appear to be the most common form of frightening people who defend human rights, threats were registered in 47% of all cases documented in 2011, and held in 2012.
Among the final recommendations to the Mexican state, the report highlights the development of the Law on Protection for HRDs and Journalists regulation together with the civil society and investigating and punishing human rights violations over this population, and those who benefit from them.
"This report is important because it is a reflection of everyday life for those who defend human rights", said Dr. Miguel Concha, director of the Human Rights Center "Fray Francisco de Victoria" during the report presentation, "and because it has a methodology and criteria for analysis and not just acusations". During the event, Alejandro Cerezo, representative of ACUDDEH and Cerezo Committee, gave thanks to PBI "because if it were not for your accompaniment we would be literally dead".
Also present were Javier Hernandez, representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico, Tannia Falconer, from Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, and Agniezka Raczynska, executive secretary of the National Network of Civil Organizations "All Rights for All”.
More information
Report on violations of human rights against human rights defenders in the period 2011 - first quarter of 2012, ACUDDEH, 26th June 2012.
Press Release: Report on human rights violations against defenders, ACUDDEH, 26th June 2012.