Blog
Published on November 20, 2009
Last month Fausto Otzín, 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. He was only 32 years old and leaves behind a wife and children.
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 to urge Guatemalan authorities to identify and prosecute the individuals responsible for the killing of Fausto Otzín.
