Mexico: UN experts outraged by attacks and killings targeting women human rights defenders

GENEVA (30 August 2023) – Women human rights defenders searching for forcibly disappeared loved ones in Mexico are facing intimidation, attacks and even violent death, UN experts warned today.

“We are outraged that those searching for forcibly disappeared family members and loved ones continue to be targeted and face violence in Mexico,” the experts said.

On 2 May 2023, woman human rights defender Teresa Magueyal was brutally shot while riding her bicycle in Celaya, Guanajuato. Two months earlier, on 4 March 2023, the woman human rights defender Araceli Rodríguez Nava, who is engaged in a tireless search for her disappeared son, was attacked in Chilpancingo, Guerrero.

Both women human rights defenders were beneficiaries of the federal protection mechanism for human rights defenders and journalists. Both cases remain under investigation, but the victims and their families have barely received any information about the results of the investigations.

The experts urged the Government of Mexico to ensure human rights defenders working on enforced disappearances can operate freely and safely. Enforced disappearances and attacks on those searching for their loved ones are linked to presence of organised crime groups, extortion, human trafficking, kidnapping networks, corruption and collusion with authorities. 

“Operating in a constant environment of fear, threat and insecurity has an intimidating effect on relatives of the victims, civil society actors, human rights defenders, and organisations,” the UN experts said. “Many of them are women and older persons, exacerbating their risk of being targeted and  in vulnerable situations. Intersecting and multiple forms of discrimination, such as gender and age, should be considered when protection measures are provided.”

“It is extremely worrying that impunity for crimes against human rights defenders and activists continues despite complaints being filed. Prevention measures and protection for victims and targets of the attacks are either not provided, or not effective,” they said.

“The Government of Mexico needs to promptly investigate, prosecute, and impose appropriate sanctions on any person responsible for the alleged violations,” they said.

“As we commemorate the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, we urge the Government of Mexico to adopt all necessary measures to prevent irreparable damage to the life and personal integrity of those searching for the forcibly disappeared, their family members, civil society movements, organisations and public servants,” the experts said.

The experts added that amidst “De Frente a la Libertad” – a presidential campaign to make risks faced by Mexican journalists and human rights defenders more visible – it was also time to take effective measures to protect human rights defenders and prevent such events from happening again.

“More must be done to effectively protect the rights of human rights defenders in their search for truth and justice, and this falls under the human rights obligations of the Mexican government,” the experts said.

The experts are in contact with the Government on this issue.

ENDS

The experts: Ms Mary Lawlor, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Ms. Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, Ms. Claudia Mahler, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons

The statement is endorsed by Aua Baldé (Chair-Rapporteur), Gabriella Citroni (Vice-Chair), Angkhana Neelapaijit, Grażyna Baranowska,Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances ; Mr. Juan Pablo Albán Alencastro (Rapporteur), Mr. Mohammed Ayat (Vice President), Mr. Matar Diop, Mr. Olivier de Frouville , Ms. Suela Janina, Mr. Fidelis Kanyongolo, Ms. Milica Kolakovic-Bojovic (Vice President), Ms. Barbara Lochbihler (Vice President), Mr. Horacio Ravenna, and Ms. Carmen Rosa Villa Quintana (Chair), UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances
Special Rapporteurs are part of 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 for the independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms established by the Council to address specific country situations or thematic issues around 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 of any government and organisation and act in their individual capacity.

The Committee on Enforced Disappearances monitors States parties’ adherence to the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which as of to date, has been ratified by 71 States parties. The Committee is made up of 10 members who are independent human rights experts drawn from around the world, who serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties.

UN Human rights country page: Mexico