Juan Antonio Chen, avocat maya, a été criblé
de balles depuis un pick up tandis que lui-même
se trouvait dans sa voiture vers
17 h le 17 février à Coban, Alta Verapaz. Chen
worked with ODHAG (Human Rights Office of the Archdiocese of Guatemala
and the National Reparations Program). Chen a travaillé auprès de
l’Office des droits de l’homme de l’archevêché de Guatemala ODHAG. Il était un collaborateur du
programme national de réparation (PNR).
El
Observatorio condena rotundamente el ataque contra la oficina de la Sra.
Maria Isabel Caccioppolis así como el robo y la destrucción de material
relacionado con causas de crímenes de lesa humanidad, y teme que los
hechos mencionados estén dirigidos a obstaculizar su actividad de defensa
de los derechos humanos. De manera
general el Observatorio vuelve a manifestar su absoluto rechazo frente a
este tipo de ataques contra los defensores de derechos humanos en
Argentina, en particular contra los abogados querellantes en causas de
graves violaciones a los derechos humanos durante la dictadura militar, y
urge a las máximas autoridades gubernamentales a que ordenen que se
adelanten las debidas investigaciones con el fin de que las violaciones
de los derechos humanos contra defensores no permanezcan impunes y que
los autores sean sancionados de acuerdo con la ley.
Acción solicitada : AGISSEZ IMMEDIATEMENT !
Urge Guatemalan authorities to identify and
prosecute the individuals
responsible for the killing
of Juan Antonio Chen.
ADRESSES
:
Raúl Velásquez
Interior Minister
6ª Avenida 13-71, Zona 1,
Ciudad de Guatemala, GUATEMALA
José Amílcar Velásquez
Zárate
Attorney General and Head of the Public Prosecutor’s
Office
15 avenida 15-16, 8o nivel
Zona 1 Barrio Gerona,
Ciudad de Guatemala, GUATEMALA
· Sr. Embajador Alberto J.
ACCION
SOLICITADA : ACTION DEMANDEE:
Copiez la
lettre ci-dessous et envoyez-la à l'adresse suivante.
RESERVE AUX MEMBRES DE L'IDHAE
LETTRE:
[Your name here]
Dear Minister Velásquez and
Attorney General Velásquez Zárate,
Killing of Indigenous
Lawyer Juan Antonio Chen
I am writing to
express my deep concern over the brutal killing
of Juan Antonio Chen, a leading human rights lawyer and defender of the Mayan
community. I urge you
to guarantee a prompt and impartial
investigation into his
killing that leads to the identification and prosecution
of all those responsible
for his death.
Juan Antonio Chen, Mayan lawyer, was shot dead in his car, by a man
in a pickup truck, at 7pm on February 17 in Coban, Alta Verapaz. Chen worked with ODHAG/Human Rights Office of the Archdiocese
of Guatemala and the National Reparations
Program.
In last October
2009, Fausto Leonel Otzín Poyón,
another leading human rights lawyer and defender
of the Mayan community,
was found badly beaten, in San Juan Comalapa, Chimaltenango, in a ditch with machete wounds to his head, stab wounds to his back, and bruises all over his face
and body. Shortly after
he was found, Otzín passed away. In the week before this violent attack, Otzín had received various text messages threatening his life
The murder of four Guatemalan
defenders in the past two
months shows the need
for immediate protection of defenders and a thorough investigation and prosecution
in each of these
cases.
Evelinda Ramírez
Reyes was attacked
and killed while driving home to San Marcos from
Guatemala City on the evening of January 13, 2010. Evelinda was a community leader and member of FRENA (Resistance in Defense
of Natural Resources and People's
Rights) and the CUC/Farmer's
Union.
German Antonio Curup was kidnapped with a colleague on February 11, 2010 by men waiting
for them outside of the
workplace. On February
14, his body appeared
in Barcenas, 10 miles south
of San Juan, with his
throat slit and other signs of torture. German worked for the defense of land and natural
resources. German was the son of Abelino Curup, community leader of
San Juan Sacatepequez who
was sentenced to 50 years in prison for a murder
that he did not commit[iii].
Octavio Roblero, member
of FRENA/Resistance in Defense of Natural Resources and People's Rights, was shot with 17 bullets at 6pm on February 17, 2010 in front of his
shop in the market in Malacatán,
San Marcos. Octavio was the brother
in law of Victor Galvez[iv], also a FRENA leader who was killed in Malacatán in October 2009.
I am
deeply concerned
about the targeting of Guatemalan
human rights defenders
for their work in defense and promotion of human
rights.
Each of these
defenders worked to promote
the rights of communities
and victims of violence. They
were silenced through murder; protection is needed for defenders across Guatemala who
continue to promote and defend
human rights.
I respectfully insist
on a full investigation of these four murders and prosecution of those responsible, as well as protection measures
for defenders who have been threatened
and attacked.
Thank you for your attention in this
urgent matter. I will
continue to closely monitor this
situation.
Sincerely,
MEMBRES SEULEMENT
[Signature]
