Impunity - Mexico
WHEREAS
Félix Fernández García, editor of the magazine Nueva Opción in Ciudad Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas, was murdered on January 18, 2002
WHEREAS
the men accused of the 1998 murder of journalist Philip True, correspondent in Mexico for the San Antonio Express-News, were released in October 2001, and the Jalisco state courts have yet to rule on an appeal brought by the journalist's widow, Martha True, in conjunction with the state prosecutor's office
WHEREAS
the Mexican government has not responded to the recommendations of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in relation to the April 29, 1988 murder of Héctor Félix Miranda and the July 3, 1991 murder of Víctor Manuel Oropeza investigated by the IAPA, which hold the Mexican government accountable to the international community for these crimes
WHEREAS
Principle 4 of the Declaration of Chapultepec establishes that "[f]reedom of expression and of the press are severely limited by murder, terrorism, kidnapping, pressure, intimidation, the unjust imprisonment of journalists, the destruction of facilities, violence of any kind and impunity for perpetrators; [s]uch acts must be investigated promptly and punished harshly"
THE MIDYEAR MEETING OF THE IAPA RESOLVES
to call upon the authorities of the State of Tamaulipas to endeavor to identify those responsible for planning and carrying out the murder of Félix Fernández García
to condemn the improper handling of the case of journalist Philip True, beginning with the inadequate initial police investigation, and to urge the Jalisco state courts rigorously review the evidence and impose the appropriate penalties on the guilty parties
to call upon Mexico's government and judicial branch to take such action as may be necessary to ensure that impunity does not surround these crimes, considering the need for murders of journalists to be tried in federal court, which affords greater protections and transparency.