Documento - México. Temor por la seguridad / amenaza de muerte.Activistas de los derechos humanos del estado de Guerrero

PUBLIC AI Index: AMR 41/030/2009

11 June 2009

UA 148/09 Fear for safety/Death threat

MEXICO Rommel Cain Chacan Pale (m), lawyer with Monitor Civil de Policía(Civic Police Monitor)

Matilde Pérez Romero (f), lawyer with same organization

105 human rights activists in Guerrero state

Human rights activists, many of them Indigenous activists, from Guerrero State, Mexico, continue to be at high risk of attacks, in spite of orders by Inter American Court for Human Rights that they should be given protection by the Mexican authorities. Recently, lawyer Rommel Cain Chacan Pale who works for a local human rights organization received a telephone death threat.

On 5 June, Rommel Cain Chacan Pale, who works with an independent police watchdog organization based in Tlapa de Comonfort, in the Montaña region of Guerrero state, received a telephone death threat. The organization, Monitor Civil de Policia y Fuerzas de Seguridad de la Montaña de Guerrero(Civic Police Monitor of the Montaña region of Guerrero), has been co-founded by Tlachinollan Human Rights Centre and other Mexican organizations.

Rommel Cain Chacan Pale was in a meeting with two representatives of Guerrero state judicial police, when he received a call from a public telephone at the office. Matilde Pérez Romero, another lawyer, was also there. Someone who sounded like a young man told him, "You are going to get fucked, we are watching you, you son of a bitch. We are watching you and your family and they are also going to get fucked." (ya te cargo la chingada, te andamos vigilando, hijo de tu puta madre. Te estamos vigilando a ti y a tu familia y también se la va a cargar la chingada).

Both Rommel Cain Chacan Pale and Matilde Pérez Romero have worked on numerous complaints against police and military operating in the region, including complaints of extortion, arbitrary detention and use of excessive force.

On 30 April, the Inter American Court for Human Rights ordered the Mexican authorities to provide appropriate protection measures to 107 members of human rights organizations in the region. This included the Tlapaneco Indigenous People’s Organization(Organización del Pueblo Indígena Tlapaneco), the Organization for the Future of Mixtec Indigenous Peoples (Organización para el Futuro del Pueblo Mixteco) and Tlachinollan Human Rights Centre, all based around the Montaña region of Guerrero State. Some measures have been taken, however these have so far been very few and largely insufficient to guarantee effective protection so that activists can continue carry out their legitimate activities.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Human rights defenders in Guerrero state are in danger and at heightened risk of attack. Earlier this year, two Indigenous rights activists were abducted, tortured and killed (see UA 41/09, AMR 41/007/2009, 16 February 2009), while others have suffered threats, harassment and unfair trials on spurious criminal charges (see UA 314/08, AMR 41/059/2008, 14 November 2008 and follow up).

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Spanish or your own language:

- calling on the authorities to ensure that Rommel Cain Chacan Pale and Matilde Pérez Romero receive adequate protection measures, in accordance with their wishes;

- calling on them to order a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation into the death threat received by Rommel Cain Chacan Pale on 5 June and bring those responsible to justice;

- calling on the authorities to implement without delay appropriate and comprehensive protection measures for human rights activists in the Montaña region of Guerrero state, in accordance with their wishes and according to the requests of the Inter American Court for Human Rights;

- reminding the authorities that the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders recognizes the legitimacy of the activities of human rights defenders and their right to carry out their activities without obstacles or fear of reprisals.

APPEALS TO:

Minister of Interior

Lic. Fernando Francisco Gómez Mont Urueta

Secretaría de Gobernación

Bucareli 99, 1er. piso, Col. Juárez, Del. Cuauhtémoc

México D.F., C.P.06600, MEXICO

Fax: +52 55 5093 3414

E-mail: secretario@segob.gob.mx

Salutation: Señor Secretario/Dear Minister

Attorney General of Guerrero

Lic. Eduardo Murueta Urrutia

Procurador del Estado de Guerrero

Carretera Nacional México-Acapulco Km. 6+300

Tramo Chilpancingo-Petaquillos

Chilpancingo 39090, Guerrero, MEXICO

Fax: +52 747 494 2981

Salutation: Dear Attorney General/Señor Procurador

COPIES TO:

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Emb. Patricia Espinosa Cantellano

Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores

Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores

Av. Plaza Juárez n° 20

Col. Centro, Del. Cuauhtémoc

México D.F., C.P. 06010, MÉXICO

Fax: (+52 55) 3686 6028

Email: pespinosa@sre.gob.mx

Salutation: Señora Secretaria / Dear Minister

Human Rights organization

Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña “Tlachinollan” AC.

Calle Mina no. 77, Col. Centro, Tlapa de Comonfort, C.P. 41304

Guerrero, MEXICO

and to diplomatic representatives of Mexico accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 23 July 2009.