The SRFOE condemns the murder of journalist Víctor Morales in Mexico and urges a diligent and exhaustive investigation

July 12, 2024

Washington, D.C. - The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (SRFOE) of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemns the murder of journalist Víctor Morales and urges the State of Mexico to investigate the crime thoroughly, diligently and exhaustively, considering his profession as a possible motive, and to punish those responsible.

On June 28, the lifeless body of journalist Víctor Morales was found in the Ejido Tierra y Libertad, in the municipality of Jiquipilas, Chiapas. According to public reports, the body showed signs of torture, his hands were tied, his face was covered and he had bullet wounds to the head. Víctor Morales was editor of the digital news portal Realidades, where he covered issues related to armed confrontations, citizen security and forced displacement.

As far as this Office has learned, the State Attorney General's Office (FGE), through the Central District Prosecutor's Office, has initiated an investigation into the murder of Victor Morales under the crime of "aggravated homicide". The Office reiterates its call to consider the journalist's profession and his publications as possible motives that triggered his murder.

Likewise, the SRFOE notes with concern that during the first semester of this year, two journalists have been murdered in the country: Roberto Figueroa and Víctor Morales, as well as the murder of radio broadcaster Martín Antonio Olivier Rodríguez.

The Office of the Special Rapporteur reiterates that the murder of journalists is the most extreme form of censorship, and violates the right to freedom of expression in both its individual and collective dimension, as it generates a chilling and silencing effect on their peers, and also affects the right of individuals and societies to seek and receive information and ideas of any kind.

In accordance with Principle 9 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression of the IACHR, the State has the obligation to prevent acts of violence and protect journalists; to investigate, prosecute and punish those responsible for crimes against journalists; and to ensure adequate reparation to the victims.

Likewise, the Commission and the Inter-American Court have pointed out that impunity has a strong inhibiting effect on the exercise of freedom of expression, with particularly serious consequences for democracy. Not only does it foster a hostile environment for the press, but it also weakens the confidence of victims and their families in State institutions and contributes to self-censorship by communicators.

Therefore, the Office of the Special Rapporteur urges the authorities of the Mexican State to rigorously investigate the aforementioned facts and punish those responsible, considering all possible criminal hypotheses. In addition, it reiterates its call to adopt timely, adequate and sufficient measures to strengthen the protection of journalists at risk, providing them with maximum guarantees so that they can carry out their work in a free and safe environment.

The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression is an office created by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to encourage the hemispheric defense of the right to freedom of thought and expression, considering its fundamental role in the consolidation and development of the democratic system.

No. R163/24

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