Mexico City.- Alejandro Cerezo, Cerezo Committee member and coordinator of Urgent Action for Human Rights Defenders (Acción Urgente para Defensores de Derechos Humanos, ACUDDEH) has received the German Peace Prize of Aachen 2012. The award recognizes the work of the Mexican defender for human rights and the trajectory of the Committee.

In 2001, following the arrest of Alejandro, Hector and Antonio Cerezo Contreras in Mexico, their siblings -Francisco and Emiliana, created the Cerezo Committee. Because of the harassment and threats they received in relation to their fight for the liberation of their brothers, PBI began to provide accompaniment in 2002.

Alejandro Cerezo was released in 2005 and Hector and Antonio in 2009 after completing their sentences. Since its founding, the Committee has been documenting and visibilising the human rights situation in Mexico.

The Aachener Friedenspreis (Peace Prize of Aachen) was created in 1988 in order to recognize the work of individuals and organizations for the understanding of people and individuals, as well as building trust and peace. The prize will be awarded to Alejandro Cerezo on 1 September.

More information

"Alemania premia a activista mexicano" (in Spanish), Deutsche Welle, 8th May 2012

Aachener friedenspreis winners 2012 (in German)

PBI Mexico accompaniment to the Cerezo Committeee