Outrageous and senseless: the murder of Isidro Baldenegro Lopez, a Raramuri environmental defender

Spanish

MEXICO CITY / GENEVA (19 January 2017) – United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, condemned the murder of environmental human rights defender Isidro Baldenegro Lopez of the Raramuri indigenous people. 

Mr. Baldenegro died of wound shots earlier this week, after being attacked last Sunday at his native community in Chihuahua, Mexico. His peaceful defence of the Raramuri community’s forests from illegal logging was internationally recognized through the Goldman Prize in 2005.

“I am utterly shocked by the cold-blooded murder of Isidro, who wished for his community nothing but safeguarding their traditional forests in the Sierra Tarahumara,” said Mr. Forst, who is currently in Mexico conducting an official visit, invited by the authorities.

“We mourn this tragic loss of a dedicated and selfless indigenous defender. Isidro’s death leaves a painful void not only for his community, but also for the wider human rights movement,” the expert stressed. 

On 18 January, during a meeting as part of his on-going official visit to Mexico, Mr. Forst and the Governor of Chihuahua, Javier Corral, jointly stated: “We condemn the outrageous and senseless killing of environmental defender Isidro. It is a tragic reminder of the dangers and risks facing environmental and indigenous defenders in Chihuahua.”

Mr. Corral and the UN expert underlined the importance of immediate and effective investigation by relevant authorities into the defender’s murder.

“I humbly stand in solidarity with Isidro’s family and community,” Mr. Forst concluded.

Mr. Michel Forst (France) was appointed by the Human Rights Council as the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders in 2014. Michel Forst has extensive experience on human rights issues and particularly on the situation of human rights defenders. In particular, he was the Director General of Amnesty International (France) and Secretary General of the first World Summit on Human Rights Defenders in 1998. He is a former UN Independent Expert on the human rights situation in Haiti.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

UN Human Rights, Country Page: Mexico 

OHCHR Mexico

For additional information please contact: Jamshid Gaziyev (+41 79 201 0119 / +41 22 917 9183 /  jgaziyev@ohchr.org / defenders@ohchr.org)

For media requests, please contact, in Mexico City, Gabriela Gorjón (+52 55 5061 6374 / +52 55 5438 1729 / ggorjon@ohchr.org)

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, OHCHR Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)

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