URGENT ACTION

Human rights defender KNIFED at home

On 3 February, Norma Andrade was attacked with a knife by an unknown man at her home in Mexico City. There are grave fears for her safety and that of her colleagues and family.

Norma Andrade is one of the founders of Our Daughters Return Home (Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa), a Mexican organisation fighting impunity for the abductions and murders of women in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua state. On 3 February at approximately 9 am, she was attacked at her home in Mexico City. According to reports, she was with her grandchildren when she answered the door to an unknown man. He then attacked her with a knife. She was cut on her cheek, but managed to defend herself before he fled. Norma’s condition is now stable, and she was released from hospital on the afternoon of 4 February.

The National Commission for Human Rights has called on the Ministry of the Interior to guarantee Norma’s security and integrity and to ensure that she does not suffer a new attack. The local authorities in the Federal District are reportedly providing round-the-clock protection to Norma and her family members, but the national authorities are not coordinating with them, which raises concerns as to whether this protection will be effective. The national authorities failed to protect her from this attack, in spite of protection measures that were ordered after a previous attack by an armed man who shot her five times outside her previous home in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua state, on 2 December 2011. Norma remains in fear for her life.

After the attack in December, Norma was treated in hospital for her injuries for several days. The hospital discharged her after staff received anonymous threats that they would be killed if they continued to provide treatment. After being transferred temporarily to a hotel, she left the city for her and her family’s safety. She sought refuge in Mexico City where she was provided with accommodation and some protection. The new attack appears to be part of a campaign against Norma Andrade. Amnesty International believes she is in imminent danger and should be provided with effective protection, including in the hospital where she is being treated.

Please write immediately in Spanish or your own language:

Calling for effective protection for Norma Andrade, her family and colleagues at Our Daughters Return Home in accordance with their wishes;

Calling for a full, prompt and impartial investigation into the attack on Norma Andrade at her home

P LEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 19 MARCH 2012 TO :

Minister of the Interior

Dr. Alejandro Poiré Romero

Bucareli 99, 1er. piso, Col. Juárez

México D.F., C.P.06600

México

Email: secretario@segob.gob.mx

Salutation: Dear Minister

Attorney General of the Republic Marisela Morales Ibáñez Av. Paseo de la Reforma 211-213 Col. Cuauhtémoc, Del. Cuauhtémoc México D.F., C.P. 06500

México Email: mmoralesi@pgr.gob.mx Salutation: Dear Attorney General

And copies to:

Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa (Our Daughters Return Home)

Email: nuestras_hijas@yahoo.com.mx

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the second update of UA 349/11. Further information: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR41/080/2011/en

URGENT ACTION

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER KNIFED AT HOME

ADditional Information

Norma Esther Andrade is a founder of Our Daughters Return Home (Nuestra Hijas de Regreso a Casa, NHRC), an organisation that was founded in 2001 after a series of abductions and murders of women in Ciudad Juarez, which the authorities failed to prevent or investigate adequately.

Along with other staff at Our Daughters Return Home, she and her family have received numerous threats since June 2002. Malú García Andrade, a director at NHRC director, filed a formal complaint with the federal authorities on 30 September 2011 after she received a threatening telephone call. A few days later, a message was sent stating that she and her family had 12 hours to leave town or they would be killed. Since 2008, four NHRC members have protection orders from the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights requiring Mexican authorities to ensure their protection.

Amnesty International issued two Urgent Actions in December after Norma Andrade was attacked in Ciudad Juarez and seriously injured. UA: 349/11 Index: AMR 41/080/2011; Further information on UA 349/11 Index: AMR 41/082/2011 Mexico.

Name: Norma Andrade

Gender m/f: female

Further information on UA: 349/11 Index: AMR 41/008/2012 Issue Date: 6 February 2012