Mexico, 8/22/2022

August 22, 2022

Dear Governor Salgado, Secretary Méndez, and Attorney General Valdovnios:

We are deeply saddened to learn of the assassination this afternoon of journalist Fredid Román Román. At around 4:40pm on Valerio Trujano street in the Progreso neighborhood of Chilpancingo, Guerrero, two people who were traveling on a blue motorcycle intercepted the journalist when he was in his car and shot him to death.

Fredid Román Román ran an online program called The Reality of Guerrero, which focused heavily on state-level politics. Shortly before his killing, he had posted online about the 2014 disappearance of 43 students from the nearby city of Iguala. That came just days after a government truth commission declared the incident, and its coverup, a “crime of the state” that involved the participation and negligence of all layers of government.

In a lengthy Facebook post, Fredid Román Román mentioned an alleged meeting between four officials at the time of the students’ disappearance, including former attorney general Jesus Murillo Karam. Jesus Murillo Karam was arrested after the publication of the truth commission report last week, while dozens of warrants were issued for suspects including military personnel, police officers and cartel members.

According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Mexico is the second most dangerous country in the world for journalists. The international organization has recorded 150 journalists killed in Mexico since 2000, with 15 so far this year.

The killing of Fredid Román Román causes us to be ever more disturbed by the general climate of impunity and inadequate security conditions for journalists in the state of Guerrero, and in the Republic of Mexico in general. Therefore, we strongly urge that you 

• conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the killing of Fredid Román Román —with a focus on finding the intellectual authors of the crime—publish the results, and bring those responsible to justice
• take all necessary measures to guarantee the safety and physical and psychological integrity of the relatives and colleagues of Fredid Román Román, in strict accordance with their wishes
• guarantee that all journalists can operate freely without fear of restrictions or reprisals from the state or the national government

Sincerely,

Brian J. Stefan-Szittai and Christine L. Stonebraker-Martínez

Co-Coordinators

copies:        

Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, Mexican Ambassador to the US ~ via email and US mail

Esmeralda Arosemena de Troitiño, Rapporteur for Mexico, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights ~ via email

Ken Salazar,  US Ambassador to Mexico ~ via email and US mail

Political Officer, Mexico Desk, US State Dept ~ via email

US Senators Brown & Portman ~ via email

US Representatives Beatty, Brown, Gibbs, Gonzalez, Johnson, Jordan, Joyce, Kaptur, Latta, Ryan  ~ via email

22 AUG 2022_Infoabe_Mexico