Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA

May 7, 2007

FIVE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS THREATENED

 

Please See Drafted Messages Ready to Send Below!

Five staff members of the Guatemalan Institute for Comparative Studies in Criminal Sciences (ICCPG) have been harassed and received death threats in recent weeks in an apparent attempt to dissuade them from investigating cases of killings and rapes allegedly committed by police officers. We fear that their lives may be at risk.

On April 25, Mónica Teleguario Xitay, an ICCPG lawyer was intercepted by unknown assailants in a black jeep. The assailants drove their car close to her car, hitting it mildly in a threatening and hostile manner and then overtook her. A short time later, the jeep stopped in front of her and another car appeared behind, also stopping and effectively trapping her. Four armed men wearing balaclavas and one holding a baseball bat got out of the pick-up truck and forced her to get out of her car. One of the men told her that they knew about the work being done by the ICCPG and wanted to know where she had been. Monica Teleguario Xitay had been traveling back from interviewing an alleged victim of police violence but gave the masked men different information. The men became angry saying that they already knew where she had just been. They then told her that, “this was the last warning”  (“esta fue la última advertencia”).

On the afternoon of April 12, Edgar Herber Hernandez Figueroa, an ICCPG researcher was leaving the ICCPG when an unknown man put a gun to his head and forced him into a blue car where another two armed men were inside. Inside the car the armed men questioned him about the ICCPG. Initially he denied working for the ICCPG but on being threatened admitted to working there. One of the armed men then said “tell those sons of bitches [at the ICCPG] that we know how they are organized and how many people they have. If they continue getting involved in things where they have no business, we are going to start cutting heads off. We are tired of giving warnings.” (“diceles a esos hijos de la gran puta, que sabemos como están estructurado y cuantas cabezas tiene.  Si se siguen metiendo en cosas donde no los han llamado vamos a comenzar a cortar cabezas.  Ya estamos cansados de estar advirtiendo.”)   The researcher was let go one hour later after having money stolen by the armed men.

On March 20, Paula Barrios, an ICCPG researcher on women in prison and gender violence, returned from work to find her home raided. Although nothing was missing, one of her children’s teddy bears had its mouth covered with masking tape.  Her home is approximately two blocks from the national headquarters of the police.

On March 14, ICCPG researchers David Dávila and Oswaldo Samayoa where followed by a green car while carrying out errands in the center of Guatemala City in preparation to take testimony the following day from an alleged victim of police violence.  The following day they left at 3:30 am to interview the alleged victim and over the next two and half hours were stopped five times by uniformed police who checked their ID.

The ICCPG is an academic and human rights organization, which conducts research into criminal policy, judicial reform, prison conditions, gender violence and conflict resolution. One area of their current work is to research cases of alleged human rights violations committed by public security forces and prison guards (arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, torture, extra-judicial executions, etc.) and to providing legal support to victims and their families. The ICCPG is currently assisting in the legal proceedings against officers accused of raping Juana Méndez in 2005, and in a number of cases of possible extra-judicial executions that are currently being heard in national courts and at the Inter-American Commission.

[This Urgent Action has been reproduced from Amnesty International Urgent Action Network (uan@aiusa.org, www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/, Phone: 202.544.0200). We appreciate their contribution!]

TAKE ACTION HERE!

GHRC/USA is urging you to take action. We ask that you profess your solidarity with ICCPG’s five human rights defenders as they strive to continue researching human rights violations committed by public security forces and prison guards. Please denounce these threats and acts of intimidation by sending a fax (if someone answers say ''tono de fax por favor''), or a hand written letter to the Guatemalan Attorney General and the Minister of the Interior:

• Expressing concern at the recent threats and attacks against Edgar Herber Vladimir Hernández Figueroa, Mónica Victoria Teleguario Xitay, Paula Barrios, David Dávila and Oswaldo Samayoa and their colleagues;
• Calling for prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into these incidents and for those responsible to be brought to justice;
• Urging the Guatemalan authorities to take immediate and effective measures to guarantee the safety of these human rights defenders, according to their wishes;
• Reminding the Guatemalan authorities that human rights defenders have the right to carry out their activities without any restrictions or fear of reprisals, as set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights and Responsibilities of Individuals, Groups and Institutions to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; and
• Calling on the Guatemalan government to develop a national plan of action to implement the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders to ensure they are able to carry out their legitimate work without fear of reprisals.

Unless we take action, ICCPG human rights defenders may face future threats, acts of intimidation, and attempts on his life. You can send your own message or send GHRC’s drafted message, pasted below. Moreover, we ask that you send a copy of your fax or letter to the Guatemalan Ambassador to the US or the Guatemalan Ambassador to Canada (depending on where you reside), the ICCPG, and GHRC/USA’s office at ghrc-usa@ghrc-usa.org - so that we may be able to thank you for taking action. Thank you for your time and solidarity with Guatemala’s human rights defenders.

DRAFTED MESSAGES READY TO SEND!

Attorney General and Head of the Public Prosecutor's Office:
Fiscal General de la Republica y Jefe del Ministerio Publico
Lic. Juan Luis Florido
15 avenida 15-16
Zona 1, Barrio Gerona, 8vo. Nivel
Guatemala, Guatemala
Fax: 011 502 2411 9124

Estimado Sr. Fiscal General / Dear Attorney General,

I write to express my grave concern about the recent threats and attacks against five human rights defenders, all employees of the Instituto de Estudios Comparados en Ciencias Penales de Guatemala (ICCPG), a Guatemalan academic and human rights organization. I recently learned of the attacks against Edgar Herber Vladimir Hernández Figueroa, and Mónica Victoria Teleguario Xitay, and the threats against Paula Barrios, David Dávila and Oswaldo Samayoa that have occurred in the last two months. I am fearful that the ICCPG and the lives of its personnel are in imminent danger as a result of these events.

I ask that the Guatemalan authorities order prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into these incidents and for those responsible to be brought to justice. In addition, I urge the authorities to take action to ensure the safety of these human rights defenders, in strict accordance to their own wishes.

Moreover, I want to remind the Guatemalan government of its obligations to recognize the legitimacy of the activities of human rights and their right to carry out their activities without any restrictions or fear of reprisals, as set out in the UN Declaration on the Rights and Responsibilities of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Additionally, I call on the Guatemalan government to develop a national plan of action to implement the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders to ensure they are able to carry out their legitimate work without fear of reprisals.

Please use the full extent of your influence to guarantee that thorough investigations are carried out and that ICCPG’s human rights defenders are safe from future threats and attacks. I thank you for your time and attention to this letter.

 

Respectfully,

YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS HERE

 

Minister of Interior
Adela Camacho De Torrebiarte
Ministra de Gobernacion
6a. Avenida 13-71, Zona 1,
Ciudad de Guatemala, GUATEMALA
Fax: 011 502 2413 8658

Estimada Sra. Ministra / Dear Madam Minister

I write to express my grave concern about the recent threats and attacks against five human rights defenders, all employees of the Instituto de Estudios Comparados en Ciencias Penales de Guatemala (ICCPG), a Guatemalan academic and human rights organization. I recently learned of the attacks against Edgar Herber Vladimir Hernández Figueroa, and Mónica Victoria Teleguario Xitay, and the threats against Paula Barrios, David Dávila and Oswaldo Samayoa that have occurred in the last two months. I am fearful that the ICCPG and the lives of its personnel are in imminent danger as a result of these events.

I ask that the Guatemalan authorities order prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into these incidents and for those responsible to be brought to justice. In addition, I urge the authorities to take action to ensure the safety of these human rights defenders, in strict accordance to their own wishes.

Moreover, I want to remind the Guatemalan government of its obligations to recognize the legitimacy of the activities of human rights and their right to carry out their activities without any restrictions or fear of reprisals, as set out in the UN Declaration on the Rights and Responsibilities of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Additionally, I call on the Guatemalan government to develop a national plan of action to implement the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders to guarantee they are able to carry out their legitimate work without fear of reprisals.

Please use the full extent of your influence to ensure that thorough investigations are carried out and that ICCPG’s human rights defenders are safe from future threats and attacks. I thank you for your time and attention to this letter.

 

Respectfully,

 

YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS HERE

 

 PLEASE SEND FAX COPIES OR CARBON COPIES TO:

Ambassador Jose Guillermo Castillo to US
Embassy of Guatemala
2220 R St. NW
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 1 202 745 1908
Email: ambassador@guatemala-embassy.org

Ambassador Carlos Humberto Jiménez to CANADA
Embassy of Guatemala
130 Albert Street; Suite 1010
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4
Tel: 1 613 233-7188
Fax: 1 613 233-0135

Institute of Comparative Studies in Criminal Sciences of Guatemala (ICCPG)
5a. Calle 1-49, Zona 1,
Ciudad de Guatemala, GUATEMALA
Fax: 011 502 2230 1841

Guatemala Human Rights Commission- USA
3321 12th St, NE
Washington , DC 20017
Fax: 202-526-4611
ghrc-usa@ghrc-usa.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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