Guatemala

Front Line is deeply concerned following reports that nine human rights defenders from two prominent organisations have received multiple death threats via SMS text message and two have reported surveillance by unidentified men, at least two of whom were armed. 

Front Line is deeply concerned following reports that a girl who is related to Mr Manuel Calel Morales, a human rights defender, was the victim of a sexual assault and a murder attempt on 17 February 2009. Manuel Calel Morales is the Coordinator for the Asociación Guía que Conduce al Pueblo Tierra del Maíz – Kamal B'e Rex Tinamit Ixim Ulew (Guiding Association which Leads the ‘Land of Maize’ People), a non-governmental organisation which has campaigned since 1980 against impunity for crimes committed during the internal armed conflict in Guatemala which lasted from 1960 until 1996. 

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. 

Front Line is 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. 

Front Line is deeply concerned by information regarding a death threat made against Omar Giron. Omar Giron is the Head of the Department of Forensic Anthropology of the Fundación de Antropología Forense Guatemala (FAFG – Guatemalan Foundation of Forensic Anthropology). He is also the brother-in-law of Fredy Peccerelli, the Executive Director of the FAFG. The FAFG is a non-governmental organisation that investigates human rights violations through the application of forensic science and sociological approaches, with a view to instilling the respect for and the protection of human rights.