Front Line is extremely concerned by reports of the attempted assassination of Yuri Melini on 4 September 2008. Yuri Melini is the Director of the Centro de Acción Legal, Ambiental y Social de Guatemala (CALAS) [Legal, Environmental and Social Action Centre of Guatemala]. CALAS is an organisation working for the strengthening of environmental issues, community participation and respect for the collective rights of indigenous communities in relation to environmental concerns.

Further Information

Posted 11 September 2008 On 4 September 2008, at around 7.30 in the morning, Yuri Melini got out of his car on the 12 street 9-47,Zone 7, Castillo Lara Colony, in Guatemala City, where he was visiting a family member. Two unknown vehicles awaited him at this location. Furthermore an unknown person was waiting in close proximity to his destination point. This person called for Yuri Melini's attention before shooting at him four times. Yuri Melini was shot in his abdomen, his right knee and also in his left femur.

Yuri Melini has not been subject to direct threats previously, but according to statements made by other environmental activists, since August 2008 there have been rumours surrounding the existence of death threats against high-profile environmental activists, amongst them Yuri Melini.

Front Line believes that the assassination attempt on Yuri Melini was directly related to his work in defence of human rights. Within this context Front Line is concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Yuri Melini, his family and all of those defending human rights in Guatemala.