People’s Tribunal condemns Mexico, Sri Lanka and Syria for murders of journalists

From The Hague, the Netherlands, the peoples court about him Murder of Journalistsmade up of a panel of independent judges, has unanimously sentenced Mexico, Sri Lanka and Sirito of “all the human rights violations brought against them” by the prosecution.

They pointed out that “Through their acts and omissions, including the lack of investigations, the lack of reparation for the damage to the victims and the total impunity, the states of Mexico, Sri Lanka and Syria are guilty of all the human rights violations presented against them in the accusation of the Prosecutor’s Office.

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This result came after three hearings, the first organized in the Mexico City on April 26 and 27, 2022. To which colleagues, family and friends of the journalists killed in retaliation for your workgathered to hear the verdict firsthand.

Although the Court has a symbolic character, Christophe Deloire, Secretary General of Reporters Without BordersI declare that “The fact that we have this Court is the first sign of hope, your court does not have the capacity to put perpetrators in jail, but it has the capacity to name and shame”, in order to contribute to the fight against impunity.

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The statement indicates that the accused States were informed “opportunely” of his right of defense, but none responded. And before the lack of actionoffered a series of recommendations with the objective that the international community take measures in this regard.

Following the sentence, a ceremony was held to commemorate all journalists who have lost their lives in retaliation for their work. In that emotional moment, photos were placed -as well as of the Mexican journalists Rubén Espinosa, Regina Martínez and Miguel Ángel López Velasco– in empty chairs representing all the journalists killed for carrying out their work.

The call was reiterated by one of the members of the panel who commented on the sentence, Nadim Houry of the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom (High Level Group of Legal Experts on Media Freedom), who mentioned that “It is time to be bolder. We have to put pressure on the UN to get out of its comfort zone.”

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In parallel, the verdict was broadcast on Youtube with translations in Arabic and Spanish; as well as in Mexico -a couple of hours later- a press conference was held at the port of Veracruzwhere the sentence of Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Civic Proposal was announced.

While in the event in Mexico, Miguel Ángel López Velasco’s son, Miguel Ángel López Solanawas present to respond to the sentence.

In turn in The Hague, the journalist Marcela Turati represented the jury of the Tribunal; Others were present: Balbina Flores of Reporters Without Borders and Jan-Albert Hootsen of the Committee to Protect Journalists who represented the coalition ‘A Safer World for the Truth’ (A Safer World for the Truth).

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the journalist Anabel Hernandez was also at the event and spoke about the right to freedom of informationassured that the journalists “They did not die for defending their freedom of expression, they mainly died for the human right of society to be informed. Without timely, truthful and objective information, citizens cannot make free decisions. Without freedom there is no democracy”.

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“By murdering them, the main objective was not only to silence their voices, but also to prevent society from having the instruments to decide the course of its history at all costs. Today they are no longer here. With his absence there are white pages that will remain forever empty without his words, without his voice, without his free thought.”, expressed the Mexican journalist.

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