Freedom of Expression
Press release 196/21
The Office of the Special Rapporteur condemns the murder of journalists Abraham Mendoza and Ricardo López in Mexico and urges the State to investigate the events and increase its efforts to prevent violence against the press
July 27, 2021
Washington D.C. - The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemns the murder of journalists Abraham Mendoza Mendoza in the city of Morelia, Michoacán state, and Ricardo Domingo López, in the municipality of Guaymas, Sonora state. This Office expresses its extreme concern over the persistence of murders against journalists in Mexico and urges the State to fully, effectively, and impartially investigate the material and intellectual authorship of these crimes, and determine the link they could have to freedom of expression.
As this Office was informed, on July 19, journalist Abraham Mendoza was attacked by unknown individuals who were driving a vehicle and who shot him as he was leaving a gym in the city of Morelia. The journalist and broadcaster hosted the program "Observatorio" on the Uve Radio station of the Universidad Vasco de Quiroga, where he reported on matters of public interest. In addition, he had previously collaborated with the local radio station EXA-Morelia and served as host of the informative program "Panorama Michoacán" of the ACIR Group and on Central Tv.
This Office took note of the statement issued by the Attorney General of the State of Michoacán, which reported the start of an investigation against three persons identified as likely responsible for this murder. According to the information provided by the Attorney General’s Office, these persons have reportedly been placed at the disposal of the Specialized Unit for the Investigation of Homicide for the investigation and clarification of the facts. The Office of the Special Rapporteur calls on the authorities not to discard a priori the investigation lines related to the exercise of journalistic work and to adhere to the Approved Protocol to Investigate Crimes against Freedom of Expression.
Likewise, on July 22, journalist Ricardo López, owner and director of the InfoGuaymas portal, was shot in the parking lot of a supermarket in the municipality of Guaymas, Sonora state. Ricardo López was president of the Metropolitan Association of Independent Journalists of Guaymas and Empalme and last March he had denounced threats against him after reporting on the disappearance of a reporter in Sonora. The Sonora State Attorney General's Office reported that the corresponding investigation had been initiated and that the Special Prosecutor's Office for Attention to Crimes Committed Against Freedom of Expression (FEADLE) would be notified.
The cases of Abraham Mendoza Mendoza and Ricardo Domingo López are inserted in a worrying scenario of an escalation of violence against communicators in Mexico, a situation that was recently addressed at the hearing on "Protection of human rights defenders and communicators in Mexico" in the framework of the 180th Period of Sessions of the IACHR. In the previous months, this Office has registered the murders of journalists Benjamín Morales Hernández, in the state of Sonora; Gustavo Sánchez Cabrera, in the state of Oaxaca; Felipe Enrique García García, in the state of Mexico; and Saúl Tijerina Rentería in the state of Coahuila. On July 20, Mexico's National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) warned that, from December 2018 to date, there have been 43 murders of journalists in the country.
In accordance with Principle 9 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression of the IACHR, "the murder, kidnapping, intimidation of, and/or threats to social communicators, as well as the material destruction of communications media violate the fundamental rights of individuals and strongly restrict freedom of expression. It is the duty of the state to prevent and investigate such occurrences, to punish their perpetrators, and to ensure that victims receive due compensation".
This Office once again urges the Mexican State to increase its efforts to prevent violence against the press, protect and promote the fundamental role of journalism, and contribute to creating the necessary conditions for the exercise of freedom of expression. The Office of the Special Rapporteur also recalls that the States must ensure that crimes against freedom of expression are subject to independent, prompt, and effective investigations and judicial procedures. As has been pointed out on other occasions, the lack of sanctions for those who are materially and intellectually responsible for the homicides, assaults, threats, and attacks related to the exercise of journalistic activity encourages the occurrence of new crimes and generates a notorious effect of self-censorship.
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.
R196/21