Joint open letter to the Mexican Authorities: International Organisations express deep concern over increasing risk faced by the families of the disappeared students from Ayotzinapa and human rights defenders accompanying the case

MiguelÁngel Osorio Chong, Secretary of the Interior

JoséAntonio Meade Kuribreña, Secretary of Foreign Affairs

ArelyGómez González, Attorney General of Mexico

Luis Raúl González Pérez,President of the National Human Rights Commission

Monte Alejandro Rúbido García,Head of the National Commission of Security

Rogelio Ortega Martínez, Governorof the State of Guerrero

13 March2015

Dear Mr OsorioChong, Mr Meade Kuribreña, Ms Gómez González, Mr Gónzalez Pérez, Mr RúbidoGarcía and Mr Ortega Martínez,

The undersigned organizations express deepconcern regarding recent reports that members of the Tlachinollan Human RightsCentre, as well as other human rights organisations and the families andfriends of the 43 disappeared students from Ayotzinapa, continue to suffersecurity incidents, putting their physical and psychological integrity atrisk.

Defamations

In February 2015, several defamatory articleswere published in a newspaper, entitled El Financiero, which discreditedthe work of Tlachinollan and other human rights defenders (HRDs), socialleaders and civil society organizations in the state of Guerrero[1]. Althoughthese latest articles targeted a broad number of civil society organisations,it is not the first time that both Tlachinollan and other organizations thataccompany the families of the disappeared students have been targeted. OnDecember 10, 2014, the Secretary of the Marines (SEMAR), Vidal FranciscoSoberón stated during a public interview that the organizations that accompanythe family members of the disappeared of Ayotzinapa are manipulating them andseek benefits for themselves in order to reach their own objectives[2]. Similarly,in November 2014, Tlachinollan, the Civil Society Network of Guerrero and theJosé María Morelos y Pavón Regional Human Rights Center were reportedly thetarget of public defamation by authorities from Guerrero[3] and onDecember 8, 2014, the digital newspaper Reporte Indigo published anarticle based on leaked information presumably from the Center forInvestigation and National Security (CISEN) which links two members of theTlachinollan Human Rights Center with “subversive groups” from the state ofGuerrero[4]. It is worthmentioning that the latest articles published in February 2015 are similar tothose previously published in November and December, as they also makereference to “official documents” or information from the CISEN and link humanrights defenders to guerrilla groups and subversive movements. Such allegationswould suggest that federal resources are being allocated and used toinvestigate HRDs in the state of Guerrero.

Acts of Aggression

On 12 January 2015, the Military Policeallegedly attacked some of the relatives of the 43 disappeared students whilethey were protesting in front of the 27 Battalion Military Quarters in Iguala[5]. Similarly, on 14 December 2014, familymembers and students were allegedly attacked by five drunken federal policeofficers while preparing the “Light in the Darkness” concert[6]. InFebruary during a speaking tour to Geneva and Brussels, two parents of thedisappeared students also described regular surveillance and intimidation bydifferent state security forces during their protests. According to Mexicancivil society organizations, these events are part of a broader context ofincreased restrictions on the right to protest and freedom of expression inMexico[7].

Precedents and context

In 2012, Tlachinollan lawyer Vidulfo RosalesSierra was forced to temporarily leave the country after receiving threatslinked to his work with students from the same Ayotzinapa teachers college. Dueto his extraordinary risk level, Rosales Sierra was awarded ProvisionalProtection Measures from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Diverse organizations and international expertshave also recognized the adverse conditions in which human rights defenderscarry out their work in Guerrero and the obstacles that they face[8]. Accordingto the National Network of Human Rights Organizations “All Rights for Everyone”(Red TDT) between 2011 and 2013, 10 human rights defenders were assassinated inGuerrero and 21 suffered acts of aggression or death threats[9]. Indeed, on13 February 2015, another activist was murdered[10].

In its concluding observations following areview of the first report submitted by Mexico in February 2015, the UNCommittee on Enforced Disappearances highlighted the numerous cases and reportsit has received which described threats and attacks against relatives ofdisappeared persons and human rights defenders working on this issue[11].

More generally and as recognized by the UN,human rights defenders in Mexico work in a persistent climate of violence,hostility and insecurity[12]. Local humanrights organizations report that cases of aggressions towards human rightsdefenders have doubled over the past 4 years[13]. Impunityprevails in more than 95 % of these cases[14].

The undersigned organizations believe that theaforementioned examples of defamation, surveillance and acts of aggressionplace both the family members of the 43 disappeared students, and the HRDs whoaccompany them at increased risk and serve to obstruct their legitimate work.Moreover, the stigmatisation and criminalisation of HRDs, social leaders andthe student community is deeply troublesome as it remains a breeding ground forthe perpetration of grave human rights violations in Guerrero and, inparticular, against the student community of the Normal Rural School of Ayotzinapa.In the absence of a thorough and exhaustive investigation of the events of 26 –27 September in Iguala, and the prosecution of the material and intellectualactors responsible for these incidents, the security and protection of thosewho continue to fight for justice in this case is likely to remain a matter ofdeep concern.

We therefore call on the Mexican authoritiesto:

· Take allnecessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity ofVidulfo Rosales Sierra and other members of the Tlachinollan Human RightsCentre, as well as other human rights defenders, and indeed the family membersof the 43 disappeared students, permitting them to continue in their fight forjustice and against impunity. Furthermore, we urge that the physical andpsychological integrity of those who exercise their right to peacefully protestwithin the context of this case be guaranteed.

· Continueto investigate the events that occurred in Iguala on 26 – 27 September,establishing with conclusive scientific proof, the whereabouts of thedisappeared students, as well as establishing the alleged involvement of theauthorities at all levels in these incidents and the chain of command of suchauthorities.

· Facilitatethe work of all independent international experts working on the case includingthe Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team and the group of experts appointed bythe Inter-American Commission for Human Rights.

· Guarantee the protection of allhuman rights defenders, including through statements of recognition of theirlegitimacy, the sanctioning of all aggressions against them, the implementationof adequate protective measures for victims and the full implementation of theLaw for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists.

Yours sincerely,

Action de Chrétiens pour l'Abolition de laTorture – ACAT France

Front Line Defenders

German Network for Human Rights in Mexico (CoordinaciónAlemana por los Derechos Humanos en México)

International Federation for Human Rights(FIDH) in the frame of the Observatory for the Protection of Human RightsDefenders

International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)

Jass – Just Associates

Latin America Working Group Education Fund

Mexico EU international CooperationObservatory (MEICO)

Mexico Forum Schweiz (Foro México Suiza)

Peace Brigades International (PBI) – Mexico

Protection International

Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) inthe frame of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

[1] El Financiero: see columns dated 18, 19, 20 February 2015 written by Riva Palacio: http://bit.ly/1Bvz0fB

[2] ElUniversal: “Padres de Normalistas están siendo manipulados: SEMAR” 10 December2014: http://eluni.mx/1z7LG9B

[3] Fundar,November 2014: http://bit.ly/1wZuupU

[4] ReporteIndigo “Ficha CISEN a abogado de Normalistas “ 8 December 2014: http://bit.ly/1z2LyIj. According to the article, CISENhas a file on Tlachinollan's Director Abel Barrera and the Director of theJudicial Section, Vidulfo Rosales Sierra and considers them “radical anddangerous to the governability” of the country. The same article mentionsseveral other civil society organizations from Guerrero which are allegedlysurveilled and have files with CISEN.

[5] Tlachinollan, 12 January 2015:http://bit.ly/1L1UYwV

[6] Tlachinollan, 14 December 2014: http://bit.ly/1ssDhbZ

[7] For furtherinformation see: http://bit.ly/1nEgV3f

[8] AmnestyInternational, 2014:http://bit.ly/1wve5Zmand Civil Observation Mission,. November 2014: http://bit.ly/1FRZCaj

[9] Red TdT,2014: http://bit.ly/1m1sLIR

[10] Red Nacional deDefensoras de DDHH de México, 17 February 2015: http://bit.ly/1ECO4ua

[11] UN CED, February2015: http://bit.ly/1J9QIdT (p6)

[12] UN SpecialRapporteur on human rights defenders, February 2014: http://bit.ly/1qef766 and ACCUDEH, 2014: http://bit.ly/ZTsLms

[13] ACCUDEH,2014: http://bit.ly/ZTsLms and

[14] OHCHR Mexico,2013: