09-21-10.Persecuted Mexican Journalists Speak Out
PERSECUTED MEXICAN JOURNALISTS SPEAK OUT
Press conference
When: 12 p.m. Noon, TOMORROW Tuesday, Sept. 21st, 2010
Where: 2115 N. Piedras (BNHR offices)
El Paso, TX 79930
El Paso, TX – Three exiled Mexican journalists trying to escape the violence against journalists in Mexico and seeking political asylum in the United States will speak to the media TOMORROW at the offices of the Border Network for Human Rights.
Three of the journalists, Emilio Gutierrez Soto, Ricardo Chavez Aldana, Alejandro Hernandez Pacheco, as well as their attorney, Carlos Spector, will be on hand to tell their stories. A fourth journalist, Luis Horacio Najera, from Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, has been granted political asylum in Canada and will join the press conference via Skype.
Also joining the press conference will be Fernando Garcia, Executive Director of the Border Network for Human Rights, and Benoit Hervieu of Reporters Without Borders in France (via Skype).
The recent murder of Luis Santiago Orozco, a 21 year old photo journalist from El Diario de Cd. Juarez, highlights the need for journalists to speak out and address the increasing danger faced by Mexican journalists. The death of Luis Santiago Orozco marks the 11th murder of a Mexican journalist this year and the recent report of the Committee to Protect Journalists, states that more than 30 journalists have either been murdered or gone missing in Mexico since Calderon’s presidency. The Border Network for Human Rights dedicates itself to the protection of rights in the border region, including the freedom of speech.
Contacts: Gabriela Castañeda, Border Network for Human Rights, (915) 577-0724, gcastaneda@bnhr.org; and Sandra Spector, (915)329-6071
