OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION CONDEMNS THE MURDER OF JOURNALIST IN MEXICO AND DEMANDS PROMPT INVESTIGATION
Washington, D.C., August 16, 2006. The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) of the OAS condemns the murder of journalist Enrique Perea Quintanilla, director of the monthly magazine Dos Caras, Una Verdad, in the state of Chihuahua, México. The Special Rapporteur urges the Mexican authorities to investigate this incident swiftly and effectively in order to ensure that the persons responsible are duly punished and to determine whether the crime is connected to the exercise of journalism.
According to the information received by the Rapporteurship, the body of Perea Quintanilla was found abandoned on a highway in the state of Chihuahua on August 9, 2006, exhibiting signs of torture and two bullet wounds. His relatives reported the disappearance of the journalist to the authorities on August 8, 2006. It was indicated that the journalist covered subjects tied to police investigations about murders and drug trafficking as well as the increase of violence in the state of Chihuahua.
The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression emphasizes that according to the American Convention on Human Rights, States have the duty to prevent, investigate, and punish all violations of rights recognized therein. Furthermore, Principle 9 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression notes that: “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 States to prevent and investigate such occurrences, to punish their perpetrators and to ensure that victims receive adequate compensation.”
The Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Ignacio J. Álvarez, noted that “it is especially important that in crimes against journalists the investigations include not only the actual perpetrators, but also the intellectual authors and other individuals whose collaboration and tolerance made the commission of such crimes possible.” He added that “the international obligation of the States to investigate and sanction those responsible for acts of violence against journalists includes the determination of whether these incidents were related to the exercise of journalism.”
For additional information about the Office of the Special Rapporteur: http://www.cidh.org/relatoria