Members of Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas (Frayba), a human rights organisation that promotes and defends human rights in Chiapas, Mexico, have been subjected to ongoing acts of harassment and intimidation, most recently on 17 August 2009. Front Line is concerned that these acts form part of a systematic attempt to intimidate human rights defenders in Chiapas.

Further Information

On 17 August 2009, a man entered the Frayba office, introduced himself as a member of the Organización Campesina Obrero Independiente (Independent Peasants Workers' Association).

He said that he had been sent to Frayba directly by the Governor of Chiapas State, Noé Castañón, and that he wished to speak with the Frayba director. The same man called Frayba by telephone the next day and invited the director to a secret meeting with the Governor to discuss the ongoing financial crisis in Chiapas.

When members of Frayba called the Governor directly to confirm the identity of this man, Governor Noé Castañón stated that he had not sent anyone to the Frayba Centre and that he believed that this man was an imposter.

On the same day, other members of Frayba were returning from the visit of the UN Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Mexico to a camp of displaced persons from the 1997 Acteal massacre of indigenous peoples by paramilitaries, when they realised that they were being followed by a blue Ford Fiesta with no registration plates.

In order to see whether they were indeed being followed the Frayba staff intentionally changed the speed of the car they were driving in a number of times and each time the other car did the same.

On 10 and 11 August in the city of San Cristobal de Las Casas, a public demonstration was held in protest at the decision of the Supreme Court to release those paramilitaries who had been identified by survivors as being responsible for carrying out the massacre of Acteal.

During the demonstration it was reported that an unidentified man was photographing the event and questioning participants about who had organised the demonstration. When the man was questioned, he admitted that he was a member of the Mexican army.

Front Line believes that the ongoing acts of harassment and intimidation against members of Frayba are directly related to their work of defending human rights in Chiapas. Front Line reiterates its concern that these acts form part of a pattern of ongoing intimidation against human rights defenders in Chiapas.