Human Rights First deeply regrets and condemns the murder of Mexican attorney and rights advocate Digna Ochoa y Plácido on October 19. We are also concerned by the threat issued against her former colleagues at the Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agusten Pro Juárez (Prodh) , a human rights organization in Mexico City. In a note left in Ms. Ochoa’s office, the killers promised to kill “the sons of bitches” at the Prodh if they continued with their work, adding their warning should be taken seriously. We call on Mexico’s federal authorities to assist local officials in conducting a prompt and thorough investigation of the crime, prosecuting those responsible, and ensuring the safety of those who worked with her on human rights cases. 

Since 1998 Human Rights First has worked closely with the Prodh on a joint examination of the criminal justice system. As a member of the Prodh’s legal team, Digna was an invaluable source of information and analysis on human rights issues in Mexico, and an inspiration to those who worked with her. Her tireless efforts prompted Human Rights First to nominate her for the American Bar Association’s Human Rights Award, which was presented to her by the Association’s Litigation Section in August 2000 in recognition of her “courage and dedication” in promoting human rights in the face of grave dangers. 

Together with other human rights groups in Mexico and around the world, Human Rights First has repeatedly called for a serious investigation of numerous threats and attacks since 1995 against Ms. Ochoa, the members of the Prodh, and several attorneys who have worked with the Prodh on human rights cases, including Pilar Noriega, Enrique Flota, and Jose Lavanderos. We insisted that the surest way to protect them from further attacks is to discover the guilty parties and bring them to justice. That call, along with the demand that those responsible be brought to justice, has gone largely unheeded. Today, Digna’s friends, family and colleagues mourn her --a foreseeable result of official indifference. 

The work of the Prodh and other human rights advocates remains vital to the consolidation of democracy and the protection of fundamental rights in Mexico. Human Rights First will continue to support their work, and continue to push for justice to be done against the perpetrators of this crime.