Mexico Case Hearing - The People's Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists
On 26 and 27 April 2022, the Mexico Case Hearing of Miguel Ángel López Velasco took place in Mexico City. To find out more, you can visit the Tribunal website.
During the first day, the Prosecutor heard witnesses on impunity for crimes against journalists in Mexico. Witnesses testified on specific groups of journalists at risk, impunity for crimes against journalists, and the role of the State in the prevention and investigation of these crimes.
The second day was dedicated to the murder of Miguel Ángel López Velasco in 2011. The Prosecutor presented the evidence collected and heard witnesses, who spoke about Miguel Angel López Velasco’s life and work, the circumstances of his death and the State investigation of the murder.
The People's Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists pursues justice for murdered journalists. Read more about it here. Impunity should no longer be the norm, it should be the exception.
Watch the livestream here:
"The murder of journalists is not the cause. It is the consequence. It's a reflection of structural problems: of corruption, of the ineffectiveness of institutions, of how power works." - Mexican investigative journalist Anabel Hernández testifying as a witness on the first day.
“We have become a ‘Silent State'. Intimidation caused by organized crime, state complicity and job insecurity are factors which hamper the work of journalists in Mexico." - Martha Olivia López Medellín from Reporteras en guardia in her testimony on the first day of the hearing.
"To end on an optimistic note, during these two days, we saw victims and journalists standing up, resisting individually and in groups. As a Tribunal we would like to strongly affirm our solidarity and support for their struggles", stated Judge Philippe Texier during his speech at the end of the second day.
The case hearing was covered in more than 20 Mexican newspapers as well as CNN and the Voice of America.
Since the case hearing however, two more Mexican journalists were killed, which brings the death toll for journalists in Mexico to 11 journalists in 2022.
A lot more needs to be done. We need a safer world for the truth.
Find more information about A Safer world For The Truth in this dossier.
