Press Release
National Network Communication and Urgent Action of WHRDs (Red Nacional de Comunicación y Acción Urgente de Defensoras de Derechos Humanos en México)
- We deplore the death threat against Obtilia Eugenio Manuel, President of the OPIM, and those against her colleagues, who are the beneficiaries of provisional measures from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
- We demand an investigation and punishment of those responsible as well as the guarantee of the security, physical and emotional integrity of Obtilia Eugenio, her family and members of the OPIM.
The National Network of Communication and Urgent Action of Women Human Rights Defenders in Mexico condemn new death threats against human rights defender Obtilia Eugenio Manuel, president of the OPIM and her colleagues, in the form of a note left in their office on February 11th in Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero.
Unfortunately, it's not the first time that Obtilia Eugenio has received this type of threats against her life, directly related to the accusations she has made of human rights violation in the state of Guerrero. Obtilia has been a victim of constant harassment and had to leave her home in Guerrero to preserve the psychological and physical integrity of herself and her family.
All this in spite of the fact that her and other members of the OPIM are the beneficiaries of provisional measures granted by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights [IACHR] on April 30th 2009, measures that haven't been fully implemented.
The threat states that it isn't true that soldiers were responsible for the rape of Inés Fernandez Ortega, an indigenous Me´phaa, member of the OPIM. Ines took her case to the IACHR, which ruled against the Mexican State in October 2010. The threat warns that “Obtilia, you are benefiting from provisional measures, we are going to hurt you and your husband Cuauhtémoc, you are the main ones, the IACHR can't protect you against bullets”.
Because of this we demand that the authorities take immediate and adequate measures to end constant threats and harassment against organizations that promote and defend the human rights of indigenous people in the state of Guerrero and against people who defend human Rrights in Mexico, and that they also guarantee their security and physical and emotional integrity.
Under the constitutional reform on human rights and the United Nation Declaration of Human Rights, we urge the Federal and State governments to:
Immediately investigate and sanction those responsible for these new death threats
To guarantee the security and physical and psychological integrity of Obtilia Eugenio Manuel, members of her family and each member of the OPIM.
Mexico, January 15th 2013