Ugent Action - MEXICO

FAMILY OF MURDERED ACTIVIST FOUND DEAD

The bodies of Malena Reyes, Elías Reyes and Luisa Ornelas have been found in
Guadalupe Distrito Bravos, northern Mexico, close to where they were
kidnapped on 7 February. Amnesty International is gravely concerned for the
safety of their family.

On 25 February, the bodies of Malena Reyes, Elías Reyes and Luisa Ornelas
were found at a petrol station in Guadalupe Distrito Bravos municipality in
the Valle de Juárez, east of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua state. Malena Reyes,
Elías Reyes and his wife Luisa Ornelas were abducted on 7 February. The
three were travelling in a truck together with Sara Salazar, the mother of
Malena Reyes, Elías Reyes. Also travelling in the car was the daughter of
murdered human rights defender Josefina Reyes. Armed men stopped the truck
and forced Sara Salazar and the young child to get out of the vehicle. They
then drove off with Malena Reyes, Elías Reyes and Luisa Ornelas, leaving
Sara Salazar and the young child on the side of the road.

Elías Reyes and Malena Reyes are the brother and sister of Josefina Reyes
who was shot and killed on 3 January 2010 by unidentified gunmen. Since
2008, Josefina Reyes had been active in protests against the violence in the
area by organized crime, and human rights violations committed by the
military. Rubén Reyes, another brother of Josefina Reyes, was shot dead on
18 August 2010 on his way to buy food by his home in Guadalupe Distrito
Bravos municipality. The investigation into both killings has not
progressed.

On 15 February, the family home in the town of Guadalupe, outside Ciudad
Juarez in the Valle de Juárez, was burnt down by an armed gang using
homemade petrol bombs.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Spanish or your own language:
* Call for immediate measures to be taken to protect members of the Reyes
family, to be implemented in accordance with the wishes of those at
risk;
* Calling for a full, prompt and impartial investigation into the killing
of Josefina Reyes, Rubén Reyes, Malena Reyes, Elías Reyes and Luisa
Ornelas with the results made public and those responsible brought to
justice.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 8 APRIL 2011 TO:

Minister of the Interior
Lic. José Francisco Blake Mora
Secretario, Sec. de Gobernación
Bucareli 99, 1er. piso, Col. Juárez,
Delegación Cuauhtémoc,
México D.F., C.P. 06600, MÉXICO
Fax: +52 55 30032900 ext. 32356
Email: secretario@segob.gob.mx
Salutation: Dear Minister/Estimado
Señor Secretario

Attorney General of the Republic
Arturo Chávez Chávez
Procurador General de la República
Procuraduría General de la República
Av. Paseo de la Reforma nº 211-213,
Col. Cuauhtémoc, Del. Cuauhtémoc
México D.F., C.P. 06500, MEXICO
Fax: +52 55 5346 0908
Email: ofproc@pgr.gob.mx
Salutation: Dear Attorney General/Señor Procurador General

State Attorney General
Lic. César Duarte
Gobernador del Estado de Chihuahua,
Palacio de Gobierno, 1er piso, C.
Aldama #901, Col. Centro,
Chihuahua, Estado de Chihuahua, C.P31000, Mexico
Fax: +52 614 429 3300 (then dial extension 11066 when prompted)
Salutation: Señor Gobernador/
Dear Governor

Mr Luis Enrique Franco
Chargé d'Affaires
Embassy of Mexico
Level 2, AMP Chambers, 185-187 Featherston Street, Wellington 6011
PO Box 11-510, Manners Street, Wellington 6142
Fax: (04) 496 3559
Email: mexico@xtra.co.nz
Website: http://bit.ly/fuaT6H

Please check with the Urgent Action team if sending appeals after the above
date. This is the third update of UA 01/10. Further information:
http://bit.ly/e1Vwf1

FAMILY OF MURDERED ACTIVIST FOUND DEAD
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Since 2007, violence linked to organized crime has spiralled in Mexico. The
media has reported more than 30,000 drug cartel related killings. The
majority of these murders have occurred in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua state.

President Calderón’s administration has attempted to combat the drug cartels
by deploying thousands of federal police and over 50,000 military personnel
in the worst affected areas, particularly Ciudad Juárez. However this has
not resulted in a reduction in violence. According to the National Human
Rights Commission (CNDH), reports of abuses by the military, including
unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detentions and illegal house searches
increased significantly since 2006. These cases are routinely investigated
and tried by the military justice system, which does not guarantee an
impartial and independent investigation, resulting in impunity for the vast
majority of perpetrators. As a result victims and their relatives are denied
an effective recourse to justice, and military officials are aware that they
are extremely unlikely to be held to account.

Further information on UA: 01/10 Index: AMR 41/008/2011 Issue Date: 25
February 2011