The International Service for Peace (SIPAZ) wants to express its concern about the murder attempt on Gustavo Jimenez Pérez, human rights activist, colleague, friend, and member of the organization Civic Alliance-Chiapas (Alianza Cívica-Chiapas). The
Civic Alliance is an organization that seeks to promote citizens’ participation in the creation of various projects related to civic education. This organization has been an important companion to SIPAZ in the past ten years and we have worked together in
the Education for Peace puppet project in 2003 and 2004.
Below you will find:
- a decree of the facts signed by SIPAZ and several other Mexican organizations
- an Urgent Action produced by the Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Human Rights Center to facilitate the writing of letters about this issue.
Sincerely,
The SIPAZ Team
Denouncement of Murder Attempt on Human Rights Activist in Chiapas
The civil organizations that have signed below, the majority of those members of the Network for Peace (Red por la Paz) and the Mexican Network of Peace Workers (Red mexicana de contructores de Paz), denounce the murder attempt on Guatvo Jiménez Pérez, member of the organization Civic Alliance- Chiapas (Alianza Cívica- Chiapas), which is part of the aforementioned Networks. Civic Alliance is an organization that seeks to promote civic participation in the creation of projects related to civic education.
This past Sunday, November 20th, 2005, at approximately 9:30 pm, six subjects dressed in black, about 20 to 25 years old, with short hair, "well dressed”, athletic, with indigenous features, and a local San Cristóbal accent, attacked human rights defender and Alianza Cívica member Gustavo Jiménez Pérez with sharp blades in his home.
According to Gustavo Jiménez's testimony, at the stated time his doorbell rang and upon opening the door, he was pushed inside the house and violently attacked by these six individuals, who all carried knives, causing wounds to his face and neck. Being struck solely in the neck and face with karate-style kicks and blows, as well as with knives, they attacked Gustavo Jiménez saying "we have come to kill you; hurry and kill him!" Based on the way in which the blows were dealt, we assume that they were meant to cause his death. Based on the way the group operated, we believe this is a trained group with a leadership structure. Fortunately, Gustavo Jiménez is in good health, although the scars left by the attack indicate that he was struck in vital points. The denouncers report missing objects, however, the attackers left behind other items of higher value including cash that was in sight.
On the afternoon of November 22nd, after a press conference in which the stated facts were publicly denounced, Gustavo Jiménez and Gabriel Ramírez, accompanied by a lawyer from the Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Human Rights Center, went to the residence of the victims. Upon opening the door, they found a man of approximately 30 years of age, with a threatening attitude, inside the house. Upon noticing this unknown individual, Gabriel and the others exited the house fearing that this subject be armed and accompanied by other strangers. Taking advantage of the situation, the individual fled while uttering threats.
Due to these facts, the organizations that have signed below demand the following from the Mexican government:
- A serious and impartial investigation of the facts and punishment to those responsible of the attacks against Gustavo Jiménez Pérez and Luis Gabriel Ramírez Cuevas.
- Measures of protection for Gustavo Jiménez Pérez and Luis Gabriel Ramírez Cuevas.
The civil organizations: Alianza Cívica, Comité de Derechos Humano Fray Pedro Lorenzo de La Nada, Centro de Investigaciones Económicas y Políticas de Acción Comunitaria (CIEPAC), Colectivo Educación para la Paz (CEPAZ), Enlace Comunicación y Capacitación, Servicios y Asesoría para la Paz (Serapaz), Servicio Internacional para la Paz (SIPAZ), Centro de Derechos de la Mujer de Chiapas, Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, PROPAZ, Colectivo Feminista Mercedes Olivera (COFEMO), Comisión de Apoyo a la Unidad y la Reconciliación Comunitaria (CORECO), Desarrollo Económico y Social de los Mexicanos Indígenas (DESMI), EDUPAZ, Centro de Investigación y Acción de la Mujer (CIAM), Movimiento de Resistencia Popular del Sureste, Chiltak, Colectivo La Puerta Negra, CENCOS, Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Vitoria, Comisión Mexicana para la Defensa y Protección de los Derechos Humanos, Comisión Intercongregacional de Justicia, Paz y Vida, Jóvenes en Resistencia Alternativa (JRA), Milenio Feminista, Movimiento por la Paz con Justicia y Dignidad, SERPAJ (Morelos) y SICSAL
Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Human Rights Center Urgent Action :
“Assassination attempt and harassment of human rights defender in Chiapas”
(November 22, 2005, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas)
This Sunday, November 20th, 2005, at approximately 9:30 at night, six subjects dressed in black, about 20 to 25 years old, with short hair, “well dressed”, athletic, with indigenous features and a local San Cristóbal accent, attacked with sharp stabbing weapons Gustavo Jiménez Pérez, a human rights defender and member of Alianza Cívica-Chiapas, in his household.
According to Gustavo Jiménez’s testimony, at the stated time his doorbell rang and upon opening the door, he was pushed inside the house and violently attacked by these six individuals, who all carried knives, causing wounds to his face and neck. Being struck solely in the neck and face with karate-style kicks and blows, as well as with knives, they attacked Gustavo Jiménez saying “we have come to kill you; hurry and kill him!”. Finally, defeated and lying on the floor, he heard them say “let’s go, this one is already dead”.
According to the way in which the blows were dealt, we suppose that they were directed to cause his death, and, by the way the group operated, we suppose this is a trained group with a leadership structure.
Soon after, around 10 at night, Luis Gabriel Ramírez Cuevas, who is also a member of Alianza Cívica and lives at the same residence as the victim, arrived home to find Gustavo covered with blood, beaten, and semi-unconscious. The house was in disorder and with blood on the floor. The denouncers report missing objects: a 14-inch color television, a video camera and a tape recorder, as well as a backpack which contained identifications, the circulation card of the Alianza CivicaChiapas-owned vehicle, and a credit card, among other things. However, the attackers left behind other objects of higher value including cash that was in sight.
Gustavo Jiménez is in good health, thanks to his athletic nature and to the fact he was able to elude the blows, although the scars of the attack indicate that they were made in vital points.
Today, November 22nd, after a press conference in which the stated facts were publicly denounced, Gustavo Jiménez and Gabriel Ramírez, accompanied by a lawyer from this Human Rights Center, went to the residence of the victims, around 2:20pm, and, upon opening the door, found inside the house a man of approximately 30 years of age, with a threatening attitude. Upon noticing this unknown individual, Gabriel and the others exited the house fearing that this subject be armed and accompanied by other strangers. Taking advantage of the situation, the individual fled while uttering threats.
Later, upon realizing there were no more strangers in the house, they noticed that their possessions had been stirred up, causing more destruction to their belongings and their property, apparently without stealing anything. The stranger, apparently drugged, entered by destroying the back door; this implies that he must have passed by the rooftops of the neighboring houses. It is presumed that this was one of the individuals who violently attacked Gustavo Jiménez on the night of November 20th.
According to this Human Rights Center, these aggressions must be understood in the context of the public activities that Gustavo as well as Gabriel have carried out, denouncing the anomalies in the way in which the government of the state of Chiapas has attended to those affected by Hurricane Stan, and actively participating in the “Other Campaign” [See: www.sipaz.org] called for by the EZLN.
Due to these facts the Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Human Rights Center requests that urgent actions be sent demanding:
- A serious and impartial investigation of the facts and punishment to those responsible of the attacks against Gustavo Jiménez Pérez and Luis Gabriel Ramírez Cuevas.
- Measures of protection for Gustavo Jiménez Pérez and Luis Gabriel Ramírez Cuevas.
Please send your urgent actions to:
Lic. Pablo Salazar Mendiguchía
Constitutional Governor of the State of Chiapas
Palacio de gobierno, 1er Piso, C.P. 29000 Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, MEXICO.
Conmutador +52 (961) 61 2-90-47, 61 2-90-48, 61 2-10-93,
61 2-33-52 y 61 2-05-28
Correo electrónico: secpart@prodigy.net.mx
C.P. Rubén Velásquez López
Secretario de Gobierno del Estado de Chiapas
Palacio de Gobierno, 2o. Piso, C.P. 29000 Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, MEXICO.
Conmutador +52 (961) 61 2-90-47, 61 2-90-48, 61 3-50-22,
61 3-14-47, 61 3-24-59
Fax +52 (961) 61 3-20-53
Correo electrónico: sgui@prodigy.net.mx
Lic. Mariano Herrán Salvatti
Fiscal General de Justicia del Estado de Chiapas
Libramiento Norte Oriente s/n, 3er. Nivel
Infonavit "El Rosario" CP 30064
Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, MEXICO
Conmutador +52 (961) 616-53-59, 616-53-65
616-53-74, 616-53-73, 616-57-24 Ext 300 – 303.
Correo electrónico: fiscaliachiapas@prodigy.net.mx
With a copy to:
Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas A.C
Brasil 14 Barrio de Mexicanos
CP 29240 San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, MEXICO
Fax: +52 (967) 6783551
noalaimpunidad@frayba.org.mx |
