Mexico

On 29 August, the Cerezo Committee Mexico, Urgent Action for the Defense of Human Rights, (ACUDDEH, AC), and the National Campaign against Forced Disappearance presented their 6^th Report. The report documents 1442 violations committed against human rights defenders between June 2016 and May 2017, which means that according to these organizations, there were 50% more aggressions in this period than in the previous period (2015-2016 Report ).

On 27 July the Focal Group on Businesses and Human Rights made a statement and held a press conference to announce that they were stepping away from the process of creating the National Program for Businesses and Human Rights (PNEDH) because the proposal from the Mexican government did not meet the international standards established by the United Nations Guiding Principles.

On July 26^th the Space for Civil Society Organizations for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists (Espacio_OSC), which is accompanied by PBI, published their third report. The event was attended by members of Mexican Civil society, international organizations, members of the Diplomatic Corp, the media, the academic community and government authorities.

In a press conference, the Network for Documentation of Migrant Defense Organizations (REDODEM) presented the Report, “Migrants in Mexico: traveling on a path of violence.” In this report, the more than 20 organizations that make up the Network – including the Juan Gerardi Human Rights Center and the Brothers on the Path Migrant Shelter — both accompanied by PBI – highlighted the problem of “human mobility due to violence” and demanded respect for the rights of the migrant population in transit and to put an end to the criminalization of people who defend and promote these rights.

According to an investigation by Citizen Lab, human rights defenders, high profile journalists and anti-corruption activists in Mexico may have been affected by “Pegasus”, a software which infiltrates mobile devices in order to monitor the movements of someone through their cell phone.

In a recent opinion column, Jan Jarab, representative of the OHCHR in Mexico, analysed the security situation of journalists and HRDs in Mexico and characterized the first four months of 2017 as “chilling”, due to the murder of at least five journalists, two HRDs, and two guards assigned to protect beneficiaries of the National Protection Mechanism.

During the month of April, during the first period of ordinary sessions of Congress, legislative advances were made with regard to the General Law to Prevent, Investigate and Sanction Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading treatment and the General Law on Forced Disappearance and Disappearance Committed by Individuals.

In April, the Don Sergio Méndez Arceo National Human Rights Award, the winners of which are chosen by Mexican civil society organizations, was presented in Cuernavaca. This year, the award was granted to Sister Leticia Gutiérrez Valderrama, a missionary and member of SMR Scalabrinianas who accompany and protect migrants in Mexico.

The National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) asked the Treasury and Congress to designate extraordinary resources to the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists. In a statement, the CNDH said that the Mechanism did not receive funding in the 2017 budget, and as a result is using funds from previous years which could run out before the end of 2017.

Mexico City, 17 March 2017.– Don't miss our March Newsletter for the latest news on Human Rights in Mexico!

Topics include: Lay on Internal Security; Disappearances in Mexico, Civil Society demands in legislative process; Ayotzinapa case; Argentine Forensic Anthropology team, missión in Chilapa Guerrero; MEPs travel to the state of Oaxaca; Contingency Plan in Chihuahua for preventive alert; amongst others.

Read it here: bit.ly/News1610.