Freedom of Expression
Press Release 100/16
Office of the Special Rapporteur condemns latest murder of a journalist in Mexico
July 25, 2016
Washington, D.C. – The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemns the July 20 murder of journalist Pedro Tamayo Rosas, which occurred in the town of Tierra Blanca, State of Veracruz, Mexico, and urges the Mexican authorities to act promptly and appropriately to investigate this crime and to identify and punish both the masterminds and the direct perpetrators.
According to the information available, Tamayo was working with the local newspapers El Piñero de la Cuenca and Al Calor Político in the State of Veracruz. He covered police news and had reported on kidnappings, the discovery of bodies in clandestine graves, and executions.
In January, he was reported missing by the media outlets, but days later the police reportedly located him in the town of Acatlán de Pérez Figueroa, in the State of Oaxaca. Following this incident, the State Commission for the Protection of Journalists—a public agency of the Veracruz State government—reportedly ordered extraordinary protection measures.
The State informed the Office of the Special Rapporteur that on July 20 the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Veracruz (Sub-Unit for the Administration of Justice in Tierra Blanca) opened an investigation to identify the perpetrators of the murder, and that the initial evidentiary proceedings included the theory that the murder may have been related to the victim’s work as a journalist. In addition, the State reported that the Special Prosecutor for Crimes Against Journalists opened an investigation in coordination with the local prosecutor’s office. For its part, the Veracruz State Commission for the Protection of Journalists condemned the murder and reported that it was in constant contact with the journalist’s family, providing them with counsel and support.
The Office of the Special Rapporteur expresses its dismay over the fact that Pedro Tamayo was murdered in spite of the protection measures granted on his behalf and the operation of the Early Alert System and Contingency Plans that are in place for the protection of journalists in Veracruz.
This is the seventh murder of a journalist in Mexico this year of which the Office of the Special Rapporteur is aware: Marcos Hernández Bautista was killed on January 21 in San Andrés Huaxpaltepec, in the State of Oaxaca; on February 9, Anabel Flores Salazar was found dead in the State of Puebla; the body of journalist Moisés Dagdug Lutzow was found on February 20 in the State of Tabasco; on April 25, Francisco Pacheco Beltrán was murdered in Taxco, State of Guerrero; on May 14, Manuel Torres González was murdered in Poza Rica, State of Veracruz, and Elpidio Ramos Zárate was murdered in Juchitán de Zaragoza, State of Oaxaca, on June 19. The Office of the Special Rapporteur expresses its deep concern over the rise in violence against journalists in Mexico in comparison to previous years, reflected in the increase in the murder of journalists for reasons potentially related to the practice of their profession.
In view of the complex situation of violence faced by journalists in the State of Veracruz, in November 2015 the Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB) set up an Early Alert System and Contingency Plans for the protection of journalists in that state, consisting of a program of public policies designed to prevent potential attacks against the region’s journalists.
The situation of violence against journalists in Mexico has been cause for special concern for this Office. The Office of the Special Rapporteur recalls that the obligation to conduct the investigation with due diligence and to exhaust all logical lines of inquiry is particularly relevant in cases of violence against journalists; an investigation that fails to consider aspects connected to the context of the region, as well as the journalist’s professional activity, will be less likely to yield results. Similarly, the Office of the Special Rapporteur considers it essential to urgently assess the possibility of activating the legally provided mechanisms for taking over the investigation that would allow this case to be investigated and adjudicated immediately by Mexican federal authorities.
Principle 9 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression of the IACHR states 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 state to prevent and investigate such occurrences, to punish their perpetrators and to ensure that victims receive due compensation."
When such crimes remain unpunished, it encourages the repetition of similar violent acts and could result in the silencing and self-censorship of media workers.
The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression was created by the IACHR to encourage the defense of the right to freedom of thought and expression in the hemisphere, given the fundamental role this right plays in consolidating and developing the democratic system.
R100/16