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Human rights defenders / Reports and Publications / Mexico / 2015 / September

Mexico: "In Defense of Life": Civil Observation Mission Report on the situation of Human Rights Defenders in Mexico 2015

Mexico_2015.09_Report_Español-English
135 pages / 2.39 MB

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The report is available here in both English and Spanish: Mexico_2015.09_Report_Español-English


From November 9th to 14th, 2014, a Civil Observation Mission (MOC in Spanish) composed of five women who are independent experts in human rights from the Americas and from Europe visited Mexico to analyze the situation for human rights defenders in the country. The information published by national and international organizations reflects a strong climate of hostility against human rights defenders in Mexico and the goal of the MOC was to gather and verify this information and contribute to the improvement of the situation for the community of human rights defenders.

The MOC was organized by 11 national and international organizations, including OMCT and FIDH, in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, and held meetings with civil society, authorities from the three levels of government, mem- bers of the Consultative Council of the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists (Protection Mechanism), diplomatic representatives of the European Union (EU), and with the Office in Mexico of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The MOC carried out their work in the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Baja California and Mexico City.

The states that the MOC visited share several characteristics regarding the situation for human rights defenders: Guerrero and Oaxaca are the states that recorded the greatest number of aggressions to human rights defenders defenders; Mexico City, one of the main places that receives displaced defenders, is the political center of the country and is home to institutions that can provide them with protection. The situation in Baja California was identified as a paradigmatic case in the north of the country that has not been highlighted in recent research. States such as Chihuahua and Coahuila in the north have high rates of attacks on human rights defenders as well, largely directed at women human rights defenders, the relatives of the disappeared, and defenders of migrants’ rights.

An invitation was sent to defenders in other states to meet with and share information with the MOC. In addition to visiting the states listed above, the MOC received reports from organizations and defenders from the states of Veracruz, State of Mexico, Quintana Roo, Jalisco, Sonora, and Tabasco.

In total, the MOC met with 30 different organizations, collectives and civil society groups and with 15 independent human rights defenders. Additionally, the MOC received written information from another 7 organizations and 7 human rights de- fenders.

Moreover, the MOC also collected information through interviews with authorities from Guerrero, Oaxaca, Baja California, and Mexico City, as well as with representatives from the federal government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE in Spanish) and the Human Rights Commission for the Federal District (CDHDF in Spanish) also sent additional information. Other civil society actors also sent information as well.

On the whole the MOC was able to conduct the interviews that they requested, however the MOC regrets that they were not able to meet with the National Commission on Human Rights (CNDH in Spanish), especially since they received important testimonies from civil society organizations about its operation. MOC members hope that this will improve under the current administration.

                                           

This report is a compilation of the information obtained in meetings and from documentation received by the five independent experts who were part of the Mission.

The first part introduces the legal framework in which human rights defenders operate. It highlights governmental policies to promote and protect human rights that contrast with the backdrop of vulnerability and risk faced by human rights defenders.

The second part of the report is divided into three chapters that address the issues that impact and hinder the defense of human rights: First, the criminalization of defenders that is fueled by a lack of appropriate acknowledgement of their work in Mexican society (Chapter 1); Protection mechanisms and how appropriate and effective they are for the protection of human rights defenders, with special emphasis on the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists created in 2012 (Chapter 2); and the factors that contribute to impunity and prevent defenders from carrying out their work (Chapter 3). It should be noted that the experts received many complaints about an overall failure to effectively investigate and prosecute the perpetrators who put the work of human rights defenders and their emotional and physical integrity at risk.

Finally, the report includes the concluding remarks and recommendations of the MOC in regard to the protection of human rights defenders in Mexico.

The MOC thanks those defenders and journalists who shared their testimonies, the authorities of the four states that the MOC visited, and the federal government, the state-level entities, the representatives from the EU and the OHCHR for their welcome and support.

In accordance with international obligations, the MOC urges authorities to protect the individuals and organizations that contributed to this mission from reprisals and retaliations, and to especially protect the human rights defenders who were inter- viewed and who are mentioned in this report.

The report is available here in both English and Spanish: Mexico_2015.09_Report_Español-English


Properties

Date: September 29, 2015
Activity: Human Rights Defenders
Type: Reports and Publications
Country: Mexico
Subjects: Human Rights Defenders

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