The European Parliament adopted by 607 votes to 2, with 73 abstentions, a resolution on the situation of journalists and human rights defenders in Mexico.
Mexico has long been the most dangerous and deadliest place for journalists outside an official war zone according to different non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international organisations. It is witnessing a dramatic rise in violence, human rights violations and attacks against journalists and human rights defenders. The situation of the rule of law is also seriously deteriorating.
2022 marks the deadliest beginning to a year for journalists in Mexico, with at least six journalists having been assassinated. President López Obrador has frequently used populist rhetoric in daily press briefings to denigrate and intimidate independent journalists, media owners and activists.
The resolution noted that institutionalised and widespread corruption, abetted by a deficient judicial system, is engendering an endemic problem of impunity, with around 95 % of journalists murders going unpunished.
Parliament condemned the threatening, harassment and killing of journalists and human rights defenders in Mexico, including environmental defenders and indigenous people and communities.
Against this background, it called on the authorities to:
- investigate the killings in a prompt, thorough, independent and impartial manner;
- ensure the protection and the creation of a safe environment for journalists and human rights defenders in line with established international standards;
- uphold and safeguard the highest standards for the protection of freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of choice;
- refrain from issuing any communication which could stigmatise human rights defenders, journalists and media workers, exacerbate the atmosphere against them or distort their lines of investigation;
- strengthen national, state and local institutions and implement a set of urgent, comprehensive and coherent strategies for prevention, protection, reparations and accountability in order to ensure that human rights defenders and journalists can continue their activities without fear of reprisal and without restriction;
- consolidate the rule of law with a view to tackling some of the structural problems at the root of the human rights violations.
In addition, while underlining the importance of Mexico as a strategic partner, Member States, the European External Action Service and the EU Delegation to Mexico are called on to raise human rights concerns with their Mexican counterparts and to put the protection of journalists and human rights defenders at the centre of EU-Mexico dialogues.
Lastly, Parliament reaffirmed its commitment to fostering relations through the modernised EU-Mexico Global Agreement, which further strengthens human rights provisions and enables the EU and Mexico to discuss a range of issues such as human rights with civil society, including journalists, human rights defenders and others at a multilateral level.