Re: ALBA CRUZ
To: Lic. José Francisco Blake Mora et al.
From: Cara Gibbons, Director LRWC
Date: 2011-01-17
I am writing, as a Director of LRWC and the country monitor for Mexico, in response to information obtained from Amnesty International indicating that Lic. ALBA CRUZ, a lawyer working in Oaxaca, received a death threat on January 11, 2011 in relation to her human rights work. This is further to death threats and an assault that Lic. Cruz was subjected to in early 2010. We note with concern that the Mexican authorities did not adequately investigate these crimes.
LRWC respectfully calls on the authorities to implement protection measures in favour of ALBA CRUZ in accordance with her wishes in order to implement the 2007 order of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
In addition, a full, prompt and impartial investigation should be undertaken into all acts of harassment, intimidation and death threats made against ALBA CRUZ. The results of these investigations should be made public and the persons responsible for the crimes should be prosecuted in accordance with law.
LRWC also calls for human rights defenders to be included in the mechanism for protection current under consideration for the protection of journalists. It is noted with concern that human rights defenders were included in the initial discussions but have been excluded from the proposed mechanism in its current form.
