Impunity - Mexico I

WHEREAS total impunity continues to be afforded for the crimes committed against Héctor Félix Miranda in Tijuana in 1988, and against Víctor Manuel Oropeza in Ciudad Juárez in 1991, which have been investigated by the IAPA WHEREAS in regard to the case of Héctor Félix Miranda, on April 13, 1999 the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued Report 50, in which it made the following recommendations to the government of Mexico: (1) conduct a serious, full, impartial and meaningful investigation to identify all those criminally responsible for the murder of Héctor Félix Miranda; (2) conduct a serious, full, exhaustive and impartial investigation to determine whether facts and events were covered up, and there was obstruction of justice, thereby hampering full investigation of the facts and events which form the basis for this report, and, if so, impose such criminal, administrative and/or disciplinary penalties as may be applicable; and (3) adequately compensate and make reparations to Héctor Félix Miranda's relatives for the violations of his human rights; the government of Mexico has not carried out any of these recommendations WHEREAS in regard to the case of Víctor Manuel Oropeza, on November 22, 1999 the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued Report 130, in which it made the following recommendations to the government of Mexico: (1) conduct a full, impartial and meaningful investigation to identify all those criminally responsible for the murder of Víctor Manuel Oropeza; (2) conduct a full, impartial and meaningful investigation to determine whether facts and events were covered up, and there was obstruction of justice, including possible involvement of officers of the court, thereby hampering full investigation of the facts and events which form the basis for this report, and, if so, impose such criminal, administrative and/or disciplinary penalties as may be applicable; and (3) adequately compensate and make reparations to Víctor Manuel Oropeza's relatives for the human rights violations; the government of Mexico has not carried out any of these recommendations WHEREAS Principle 4 of the Declaration of Chapultepec condemns murder, terrorism, kidnapping, pressure and intimidation of journalists, the destruction of facilities, violence of any kind and impunity for perpetrators because they severely limit freedom of expression and the same principle demands that such acts be investigated promptly and punished harshly THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE IAPA RESOLVES to urge the Mexican government and judiciary to accept and implement the recommendations of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and thus continue the process of investigating the crimes with a view to solving them and imposing civil and criminal penalties on those who are responsible.