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On October 18, 2009, Fausto
Otzín, 32 years old, a Guatemalan
indigenous human rights lawyer, was found badly injured in a ditch. He
suffered multiple machete and stab wounds and passed away shortly after
being found.
Otzín was a well-known and
respected figure in the Guatemalan human rights community. He formerly
served as the Executive Director of the Association of Mayan Attorneys
and was heavily involved in promoting the rights of indigenous
communities and victims of Guatemala’s
36-year armed conflict.
The violent attack against
Otzín displays troubling signs of an extra-judicial killing. Otzín’s body
was found with severe signs of suffering close to a military base in the
area. Disturbingly, Otzín’s death follows the murder of several other
Mayan community leaders and was preceded by death threats sent to his
telephone.
TAKE ACTION NOW !
Urge Guatemalan authorities to identify and prosecute
the individuals responsible for the killing of Fausto Otzín.
ADRESSES :
Raúl Velásquez
Interior Minister
6Ş 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
LETTER
:
Dear
Minister Velásquez and Attorney General Velásquez Zárate,
Killing of Indigenous Lawyer Fausto Leonel Otzín Poyón
I am writing to express my deep concern over the brutal killing of Fausto
Leonel Otzín Poyón, 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.
Fausto Otzín was only 32 years old and was heavily involved in promoting
the rights of indigenous communities from early on in his student days.
He founded a Mayan student association and helped to create the Law
Institute of Indigenous People. He was also the first Executive Director
of the Association of Mayan Attorneys. Moreover, he was part of a student
movement demanding justice for the mass atrocities committed during
Guatemala’s armed conflict, in which members of his family were
disappeared. Most recently he worked for a program co-financed by the
European Union to promote justice reform in Chimaltenango. He also
provided legal advice to communities in San Juan Sacatepéquez after they
were criminalized for opposing a local cement factory.
On October 18, 2009, in San Juan Comalapa, Chimaltenango, Fausto Otzín
was found badly beaten 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.
I fear the violent attack of Otzín may be linked to his extensive human
rights work. I am also concerned that this attack represents a threat to
all those human rights defenders advocating for the rights of indigenous
communities and seeking justice for past atrocities in Guatemala.
I urge you to ensure that the investigation into the killing is prompt,
impartial and comprehensive and leads to the identification and
prosecution of those responsible, whoever they may be. Such an investigation
may well necessitate examining illegal security organizations that
operate in San Juan Comalapa. A successful prosecution in this important
case would help break the culture of impunity associated with violent
crimes against human rights defenders.
Thank you for your attention in this urgent matter. I will continue to
closely monitor this situation.
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