Mexico: Climate of Harrassment against Human Rights Defenders

                                            MEX 007 / 9808 / OBS 058
                                                     13 August 1998 
                                                                    
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint 
programme of the FIDH and OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention 
regarding the following situation in Mexico.

Brief description of the situation :

The Observatory has been informed, by several Mexican organisations, 
that the climate of harrassment and the pressure exerted against human 
rights defenders have been worsening.

According to the information received, in a book that has recently been 
published, there are injurious declarations and accusations, directed 
against various institutions and individuals, including the PRODH 
("Centre de Derechos Humanos 'Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez) and Mr. 
David Fernández, former director of the PRODH and the current principal 
of the "Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente". The 
book in question, which does not refer to its source, was written by an 
author with a pseudonym. It accuses Mr. David Fernández of "training 
guerrillas" and of being responsible for the "social uprising" in the 
country. The PRODH is also accused of belonging to a "financial and 
political network that manipulates the poor as 'cannon fodder' in order to 
gain political power".

Moreover, on August 10, 1998, the newspaper "Mexico Hoy" published 
an article on the EPR ("Ejército Popular Revolucionario), in the State of 
Oaxaca, in which it accused several individuals, including Mrs. Angélica 
Ayala Ortíz, Vice-President of the LIMEDDH ("Liga Mexicana de 
Defensa de los Derechos Humanos"), affiliated to the FIDH. According 
to the article aforementioned, it is believed that "police and military" 
sources consider Mrs. Ayala Ortíz to be part of the political wing of this 
armed group.

The Observatory has also been informed that, on August 7th, in 
Iztapalapa, Mexico City, the corpse of Mrs. Libertad Hernández Landa 
was found. She was the Director of the "Programa Estatal de la Mujer en 
Veracruz" and an activist for the promotion of the rights of women and 
children and the indigenous communities. According to the information 
received, a few hours before her death, Mrs. Hernández participated in a 
seminar at the "Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores", after which she 
  
headed to the airport to meet her daughter. There has not been any 
news of her since then. Her body was found with signs of 
strangulation.

The Observatory underlines its concern over these facts which have 
raised the climate of insecurity and permanent threats, which human 
rights activists have been suffering from in Mexico.

Actions requested :
Please write to the Mexican authorities urging them to:

i.- cease the defamation campaign and the accusations against 
    human rights defenders and adopt the necessary measures to 
    guarantee the security and freedom of the individuals 
    concerned, namely those mentioned above; 

  ii.-carry out an investigation on the facts aforementioned, 
    including the death of Mrs. Libertad Hernández Landa, in 
    order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and 
    apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions 
    provided by law; 

iii.-adopt the necessary measures to ensure the right of human 
    rights, non-governmental organisations, and their members, 
    particularly the ones aforementioned, to freely pursue their 
    activities in favour of the defence and promotion of human 
    rights; 

  iv.-conform their actions in accordance with the standards 
    established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and 
    the international and regional pacts and conventions, ratified 
    by the state of Mexico. 

  Addresses:

  S.E. Dr. Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León, Presidente de la República, 
Palacio Nacional, C.P. 06065, Mexico, D.F., Mexico. Fax (+ 52 5) 515 57 
29 ó/or 516 57 62

Lic. Francisco Labastida Ochoa, Secretario de Gobernación, Secretaría 
de Gobernación, Bucareli 99, 2º piso, Col. Juarez, Mexico, D.F., Mexico 
Fax (+ 52 5) 546 53 50 ó/or 547 03 21 o/or 546 

Dr. Jorge Madrazo Cuellar, Procurador General de la República, 
Procuraduría General, Violeta y Reforma s/n 2º piso, Col. Guerrero, 
México, D.F. CP 06300 México. Fax: (+ 52 5) 626 44 26

Dra. Mireille Roccatti Velásquez, Presidenta de la Comisión Nacional 
de Derechos Humanos, Periférico sur 3469, Col. San Jerónimo Lídice, 
Deleg. Magdalena Contreras, C.P. 10200, Mexico, D.F., Mexico.  Fax.: (+ 
52 5) 631 26 33 E-mai: cndh@laneta.apc.org

The Embassy of Mexico in your respective countries.

  Geneva- Paris, 13 August 1998

  Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken by quoting 
the code of this appeal in your reply.

The Human Rights Action Network, a part of Derechos Human Rights, distributes appeals on behalf of victims of human rights violations. You are invited to join the network. Please check the date of the present action and do not write if it's over a month old.