Mexico City | Desinformémonos. Human rights defenders in Mexico “continue to face structural challenges,” warned UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor, who lamented that “concerns persist regarding the ongoing attacks” against activists.
“During the six years of my mandate, I have received countless reports of serious attacks against human rights defenders in Mexico. Unfortunately, concerns persist regarding the ongoing attacks,” noted Lawlor, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.
Lawlor cited the case of Chiapas as a “tragic example” of the situation, where “the range of risks and reprisals” against defenders who oppose the interests of “organized crime, certain public authorities, and large corporations” is on full display.
Among the specific cases in Chiapas, he recalled the murders of Tsotsil defender and priest Marcelo Pérez Pérez, committed on October 20, 2024, and of Tsotsil Maya human rights defender Simón Pedro Pérez López, on July 5, 2021, as well as the “allegedly arbitrary” detention of Tsotsil human rights defender Versaín Velasco García; the recent repeated raids on the offices of the Fray Matías de Córdova Human Rights Center; and “the grave danger suffered” by local mothers searching for their missing relatives.
“All three levels of government must reaffirm their commitment to working with human rights defenders and addressing the root causes of injustice and inequality in Mexican society,” Lawlor emphasized.
Finally, the Special Rapporteur called on the authorities to explore “appropriate measures” for human rights defenders arbitrarily detained in the country, to protect and recognize searchers for the disappeared as human rights defenders, and to respect the rights of indigenous peoples, including their right to free, prior, and informed consent regarding any initiative related to their territory, organization, and culture.
The full statement follows:
A UN expert* warned today about the complex security situation facing human rights defenders in Mexico.
“During the six years of my mandate, I have received countless reports of serious attacks against human rights defenders in Mexico. Unfortunately, concerns persist regarding the ongoing nature of these attacks,” said Mary Lawlor, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.
“The government has taken some steps to address this phenomenon, but while progress is acknowledged, these efforts continue to face structural challenges.”
The Special Rapporteur cited the situation in the southern part of the country, particularly in the state of Chiapas, as a tragic example.
“The state of Chiapas illustrates the range of risks and reprisals faced by human rights defenders in the country, as well as the groups of defenders who face particularly high risks,” said Lawlor. “We see how the interests of organized crime, certain public authorities, and large corporations intersect, and how these interests create a situation of insecurity for those who defend human rights.”
The Special Rapporteur highlighted the high-profile cases of the murders of the Tzotzil indigenous priest Father Marcelo Pérez Pérez and the Maya Tzotzil human rights defender Simón Pedro Pérez López in 2024 and 2021; the allegedly arbitrary detention of the Maya Tzotzil human rights defender Versaín Velasco García; the recent repeated raids on the offices of the Fray Matías de Córdova Human Rights Center; and the serious insecurity faced by local “mothers who search” for their missing relatives.
“The three levels of government must reaffirm their commitment to working with human rights defenders and addressing the root causes of injustice and inequality in Mexican society.”
The Special Rapporteur invited the authorities to explore appropriate measures for human rights defenders arbitrarily detained in the country, to protect and recognize those searching for their missing relatives as human rights defenders, and to fully respect the rights of indigenous peoples, including their right to free, prior, and informed consent, in accordance with ILO Convention No. 169.
The Special Rapporteur is in contact with the Government regarding these concerns and the individual cases mentioned.
Original text published by Desinformémonos on April 23rd, 2026.
Translation by Schools for Chiapas.