AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE
AI Index: AMR 41/036/2003 (Public)
News Service No: 196
21 August 2003
Mexico: Delegates from over 80 countries show international solidarity with the mothers of Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua
The mothers were represented by Josefina González from "Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa" (Our daughters to return home), Ciudad Juárez, and Patricia Cervantes from "Justicia para Nuestras Hijas" (Justice for our daughters), Chihuahua.
The banner is covered in the hand-prints of delegates and was started by Irene Khan, AI's Secretary General and Rosario Ibarra, a renowned Mexican human rights activist at the start of the meeting.
The banner is being given to the mothers to symbolize Amnesty International's ongoing support in their fight to obtain justice.
On 11 August, Amnesty International published a report about the government's failure to address the murder of young women in Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua.
The report revealed that in the last ten years approximately 370 women have been murdered, of which at least 137 were sexually assaulted prior to their death. A further 75 bodies have still not been identified -- it is thought some may be those of women who have been reported missing but grossly inadequate forensic investigations have made this impossible to confirm.
During an official visit to Mexico, Irene Khan presented this report to President Fox.
Images from the handover of the banner will be available on http://news.amnesty.org and http:// www.amnistia.org.mx/prensa.
Interviews with the mothers are available on:
http://emedia.amnesty.org/VAWJosefinaGonzalez.ram (Josefina González)
http://emedia.amnesty.org/VAWPatriciaCervantes.ram (Patricia Cervantes)
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Judit Arenas on +52 55 5995 1844 or in the International Council Meeting press office in Cocoyoc on +52 73 535 62211 ext 1649.
Public Document
****************************************
For more information please call Amnesty International's press
office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566
Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web: http://www.amnesty.org
For latest human rights news view http://news.amnesty.org
Make a difference!
» Justine Masika Bihamba, Women's Human Rights Defender
» WOZA--Human Rights Defenders at Risk
» Women of Atenco--Assaulted by the Police
