AI; HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS RECEIVE THREAT

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS RECEIVE THREAT

Six members of Comité Cerezo, a human rights organization in Mexico City, Mexico, have received a threat by email. On 9 November Comité Cerezo received a threatening email directed at six members of the family that founded the organization. An extract of the email reads: “Let’s make it clear that there will not be a day, month or year in which we will not be watching you, even talking to you, we have already done so with Francisco Cerezo Contreras the “smart one”, but he is not such thing, [...] we hope you change Francisco, we will help you to change. What do you think? We know we will not have an answer, we know that your silence is your “intelligence”, but let’s be clear Francisco and friends, that silence also kills” (Que quede muy claro no habrá día, mes u año en que nosotros (no) estaremos al pendiente de todo, incluso de platicar con ustedes, que ya lo hemos hecho con Francisco cerezo el “inteligente”, que de eso nada tiene, [...] Ojalá cambies francisco, nosotros te vamos a ayudar a cambiar. Como vez?. Sabemos que no tendremos respuesta, sabemos que su silencio es su “inteligencia”, pero sabes francisco y compañía, que también el silencio mata”).

The Comité Cerezo was founded by five siblings of the Cerezo family, after three brothers in the family were
detained and accused of links to an armed opposition group in 2001. They were tortured and denied a fair judicial
process, resulting in their prolonged detention and conviction of two of the brothers. After several years, they were
finally released on appeal. In the last decade, the Comité Cerezo has expanded its membership and now works on
a range of human rights issues. Members of the Comité Cerezo have received threats on several occasions and
were granted precautionary measures by the Inter American Commission of Human Rights in 2006 which ordered
that they receive protection. However, those responsible for the threats have never been held to account.

Please write immediately in Spanish or your own language:

Urging the authorities to take appropriate measures to guarantee the safety of the six, and other members of
Comité Cerezo;

Calling for a full and prompt investigation into the threat, for results to be made public and for those responsible to
be held to account;

Reminding the authorities of their duty to ensure that human rights defenders are free to carry out their legitimate
activities without fear of reprisal.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 22 DECEMBER 2011 TO:

Minister of the Interior

Lic. José Francisco Blake Mora

Secretario de Gobernación

Abraham González No.48
Col. Juárez, Del. Cuauhtémoc
México, D.F, C. P. 06600, Mexico

Fax: +52 55 5093 3414

Email: secretario@segob.gob.mx

Salutation: Dear Minister

Attorney General of Federal District

Miguel Ángel Mancera Espinosa

Procurador General de Justicia del Distrito
Federal

Gabriel Hernández #56,
Col. Doctores, C.P. 06720

México D.F, México

Fax: +52 55 5345 5558

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Name: Francisco Cerezo Contreras, Alejandro Cerezo Contreras, Antonio Cerezo Contreras, Camilo Gabriel Cerezo Aguilar, Héctor Cerezo
Contreras and Emiliana Cerezo Contreras.
Gender m/f: All male except Emiliana Cerezo Contreras who is female.
UA: 334/11 Index: AMR 41/072/2011 Issue Date: 10 November 2011