PBI-Mexico observes Regional Forum on General Law of Prevention and Protection for human rights defenders and journalists

On July 19, PBI-Mexico tweeted:

“Today in #Chihuahua begins the ninth dialogue for the discussion on the General Law of Prevention and Protection against Offenses to Defenders of #human rights and #journalists. PBI is present with other civil society representatives who demand better #protection.”

Then on July 20, PBI-Mexico tweeted:

“PBI observes the second day of the Regional Forum #Chihuahua on the General Law of Prevention and Protection against offenses against human rights defenders of #human rights and #journalists. It continues to follow up on the requests and reflections of the organizations it accompanies in the state.”

PBI-Mexico has previously explained that a Protection Mechanism was created for journalists in Autumn 2010.

Later, the Law for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists was signed into law in June 2012. That law obliges both federal and state authorities to protect the rights of journalists and human rights defenders.

In March 2020, PBI-Mexico commented “the Mechanism continues to demonstrate notable deficiencies and concerning failures.”

The year before that, PBI also highlighted: “The Mechanism can’t possibly address its shortcomings with its current budget and staffing levels. Providing additional funding would be the first step the Mexican government can take to ensure the Mechanism has the resources necessary to manage its rapidly growing caseload.”

On June 29, Al Jazeera reported that Antonio de la Cruz had been killed and that he was “the 12th Mexican journalist murdered this year amid rising violence against members of the press.”

That article adds: “More than 150 journalists have been killed since 2000.”

In February, Front Line Defenders documented that 42 human rights defenders had been killed in 2021 in Mexico.

For more, please see the report Turning the Tide on Impunity: Protection and Access to Justice for Journalists and Human Rights Defenders in Mexico.