FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Wende Gozan at 347/526-5520
Saturday, July 19, 2003 or Eric Olson at 202/468-7234

Today Special Prosecutor Margarita Guerra announced that she had completed her investigation into the death of renowned Mexican human rights attorney Digna Ochoa and concluded it likely was a suicide. Given the myriad deficiencies that have thus far marred the government's investigation, such a ruling seems premature and could hurt Mexico's efforts to improve its human rights standing.

Guerra's conclusion is particularly disturbing given that only a month ago, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights identified several serious flaws in the Ochoa investigation. This included scientific testing that didn't meet international standards, the failure to protect properly the crime scene and failure to ensure chain of custody of the evidence. In addition, lawyers of the Ochoa family indicated that when they attempted to present new evidence supporting their case, they were denied permission to do so. This suggests a pattern of problems within the investigation that need to be corrected before such a decision is made.

Rather than thoroughly address the concerns of Amnesty International and other human rights groups throughout the Americas, the Mexican government has chosen to sully Digna Ochoa's reputation and memory. Sadly, this is not uncommon. Prosecution services in Mexico frequently seek to blame the crime victim, and many high-profile investigations in the past have floundered amidst rumors and leaks that diverted attention, ultimately allowing those responsible to remain untouched. Because officials apparently ignored the deficiencies in the Ochoa investigation, we must question whether they have left in their wake confusion and impunity rather than justice and clarification.

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