UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, warned On Thursday, he noted that despite the government’s efforts, structural challenges continue to threaten the safety of human rights defenders in Mexico, citing organized crime, state authorities and business interests as driving forces behind the ongoing attacks.
In a statement issued through the office of UN High Commissioner for Human RightsLawlor said she had received “numerous reports of serious attacks” against defense attorneys during her six years in office and that concerns remained. She acknowledged that the Mexican government has taken measures to address the situation, but said those efforts face deep-rooted obstacles.
Lawlor described the southern state of Chiapas as emblematic of the risks faced by defense attorneys across the country. She cited the murders of the Tzotzil Maya indigenous priest, Father Marcelo Perez Perez in 2024 and Tzotzil Defender vErsaín Velasco Garcia In the state of Chiapas there were repeated raids on the offices of the Fray Matías de Córdova Human Rights Centeralso in Chiapas, and faced with great uncertainty “I’m looking for mothers” Women searching for relatives who have been forcibly disappeared.
The Special Rapporteur Called on federal, state and local officials to reaffirm their commitment to working with human rights defenders and addressing the root causes of injustice and inequality. She called on the authorities to consider appropriate measures for arbitrarily detained defenders, to formally recognize those searching for missing relatives as human rights defenders, and to fully respect the rights of indigenous peoples, including the right to free, prior and informed consent Convention 169 of the International Labor Organization.
The warning comes amid a broader pattern of documented threats to defenders and public spaces in Mexico. According to international organization Front defenderWith 32 registered cases, Mexico ranked second in the world in killings of human rights defenders in 2024. In January, UN experts required Truth and justice on the third anniversary of the enforced disappearance of human rights lawyer Ricardo Lagunes and indigenous leader Antonio Diaz in the state of Colima and called on the government to fulfill its international obligations, investigate the case and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances found strong evidence in April that enforced disappearances in Mexico constitute a crime against humanity, citing some 72,000 unidentified human remains discovered by authorities and citizen search groups. The committee requested that the matter be referred to the UN General Assembly for consideration.
Mexico’s national protection mechanism for human rights defenders and journalistsEstablished by Congress in 2012, it has been criticized by international bodies for inadequate funding and structural limitations. Lawlor previously called for the mechanism to be adequately resourced, saying defenders’ lives could depend on it.
