Guatemala: menaces de mort contre les membres de la Fundación de Antropología Forense de Guatemala (FAFG)

Your Excellency,

I am deeply concerned following reports of death threats received via email by Fredy Peccerelli, Omar Girón, José Suassnavar and Lionel Paiz, all members of the Fundación de Antropología Forense de Guatemala (Foundation of Forensic Anthropology in Guatemala – FAFG), a non-governmental organisation dedicated to investigating human rights violations through the application of forensic and social sciences, with a view to strengthening the respect and the protection of human rights. Fredy Peccerelli and Omar Girón are the Executive Director of the FAFG and the Head of the Department of Forensic Anthropology respectively.

On 22 May 2008, at 3:26pm, Fredy Peccerelli and Omar Girón received death threats via email, sent from the address yax.pedro@yahoo.com, which is registered under the name Pedro Yax. The email said that Bianca, the sister of Fredy Peccerelli, had been seen. It gave correct descriptions of her clothes and the car that she was driving – a Cherokee Jeep belonging to her father – and where she was driving it. The email noted that “el primer paquete con sus partes (the first packet with her body parts)” would be arriving. The email finished by saying “Mueran revolucionarios, retiren las denuncias. FAFG DE LUTO hasta que acabemos con todos. (Die revolutionaries, take back your reports. FAFG in mourning until we've finished with everyone.)”

On 19 May 2008, at approximately 8:30am, Fredy Peccerelli, Omar Girón, José Suassnavar and Lionel Paiz received death threats via email, sent from the same address. The email called the members of the FAFG “malditos revolucionarios (damn revolutionaries)“ and included the phrases “Están vigilados y los mataremos (you are under surveillance and we will kill you)“ and “La lista es larga pero mataremos a todos tu familia sera primera, Freddy maldito [sic] (the list is long but we will kill you, all your family will be first, damn Freddy)“. The sender of the email also threatened to rape Omar Girón's wife and send her in pieces to the FAFG.

On 20 May 2008, Judge Eduardo Cojulún, the Eleventh Judge of the Penal Courts, received a threatening telephone call, warning him not to carry on with an investigation in which he was sending statements of victims of massacres during the internal armed conflict in Guatemala to the National Audience of Spain. Among the evidence was a forensic photograph taken by the FAFG. The photograph was published in Prensa Libre (Free Press) and contained a logo which identified the organisation.

The members of the FAFG have previously been subject to threats. On 2 February 2008, Omar Girón received a text message on his mobile phone saying: “Les van a quitar la seguridad y mueren Omar... y Fredy hijos de puta (they're going to take away your security and Omar... and Fredy die sons of bitches)“. On the same day as the threat, an article was published in Siglo XXI in which the Deputy Minister of Governance announced that civil servants' security personnel would be reduced to increase the number of agents available to patrol the streets.

I believe that the threats against the members of the FAFG are linked to their legitimate work in the defence of human rights, in particular its forensic investigation into human rights violations, and represent part of a pattern of repeated death threats made against the staff members of the FAFG since 2002. In 2002 the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights instructed the Guatemalan authorities to provide protective measures for Fredy Peccerelli and the staff members of the FAFG. These protective measures have since been reduced and I am concerned that protection may be insufficient in view of the continued harassment.

I urge the Guatemalan authorities to:

1. Initiate an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the death threats against the members of the FAFG and their families, with a view to identifying those responsible and bringing them to justice in accordance with the law;

2. Guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the members of the FAFG as well as that of their families;

3. Take measures to end any intimidation of the members of the FAFG so that they can continue with their activities in defence of human rights without reprisals, in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

Yours sincerely,