Ajanta Kaza and the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales Presents

The recent reports of attacks on international observers highlight more starkly than before the deteriorating situation for human rights defenders in Mexico, and the attention required by the international community to ensure that the fundamental principle of the rule of law is upheld in these difficult times.

The Bar Human Rights Committee (BHRC) has launched a report on the findings of a high-level delegation of human rights lawyers who were sent to the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca to investigate this worrying situation. The delegation carried out an independent and impartial audit of the human rights situation relating to the protection of human rights defenders and lawyers, pre-trial and pre-charge detention, and military jurisdiction.

Launched on Thursday 15th July in the House of Lords by Lord Brennan, Labour Peer and Bar representative on the Council of the International Bar Association, the report was presented by Ajanta Kaza, Executive Committee Member, Bar Human Rights Committee and representative of the delegation of lawyers, and Adam Hiddleston, Member of the English Bar and representative of the delegation of lawyers

There were also addresses by Santiago Aguirre, Tlachinollan Human Rights Centre, a human rights lawyer who has represented cases before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and met with the delegation in Mexico during their visit to Mexico and Lisa Marcani, Mexico Project Coordinator, Peace Brigades International.

The report can be downloaded here