URGENT ACTION

ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS DEFENDER KILLED
Samir Flores Soberanes, environmental, land and territory human rights defender, was shot dead on 20 February, after receiving several death threats for his work defending the territory of his community. Samir was a member of a grassroots collective for environmental and territorial protection called Front of Peoples in Defense of the Earth and Agua, in the states of Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala (southeast Mexico). He was also vocal against the geothermic project called “Proyecto Integral Morelos”. He received written death threats and was beaten by an unknown group in October 2018.

TAKE ACTION: WRITE AN APPEAL IN YOUR OWN WORDS OR USE THIS MODEL LETTER

Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Governor of Morelos
Calle de la Luz, 88 
Colonia Chapultepec
CP: 62450, Mexico
322 16 21 Ext. 105
 Cuauhtemoc.Blanco@morelos.gob.mx; Maribel.rosas@morelos.gob.mx  

Dear Governor,

I write to you in relation to the killing of Samir Flores Soberanes, a member of the Front of Peoples in Defence of the Earth and Agua, a grassroots collective dedicated to protecting the environment and the territory in the states of Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala. On 20 February, Samir was shot death outside his house by an unknown armed group that shoot him four times, two in the head. 

Samir Flores Soberanes was very vocal against a thermal-electric plan project called “Proyecto Integral Morelos” and, as a result, received written death threats. In October 2018, he was beaten by an unknown group. The day before his killing, Samir attended an informative session on the “Proyecto Integral Morelos” and expressed concerns about the human rights and social impacts of the project.     

I urge you to conduct a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation of Samir Flores Soberanes’ killing, taking into account the possibility of the attack being in retaliation for his activities as an environmental, land and territory defender.

Yours sincerely,

Additional information

In January 2019, in the report Caught Between Bullets and Neglect: Lack of Protection for Defenders of the Territory in the Sierra Tarahumara, Amnesty International confirmed that Mexico is failing to comply with its obligation to protect human rights defenders who are at risk and, in general, to guarantee a favourable climate in which they can carry out their work in safety. Amnesty International asked the Mexican government to incorporate a comprehensive perspective on the protection of human rights defenders in relevant legislations, plans, programmes and policies, with the objective of guaranteeing effective protection for them. 
PREFERRED LANGUAGE TO ADDRESS TARGET: Spanish
You can also write in your own language.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: 9 April 2019
Please check with the Amnesty office in your country if you wish to send appeals after the deadline.

NAME AND PREFFERED PRONOUN: Samir Flores Soberanes (he/him)

Additional TARGETS

And copies to:

Attorney General of the State of Morelos 
Av. Emiliano Zapata No. 803, 
Col. Buena Vista, Cuernavaca. C.P. 62130 
Phone number: (777) 364 55 55 EXT. 1285, 329 15 77 EXT. 1260 
E-mail: urielcarmona@moreloslegal.com 
Salutation: Dear Attorney General

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. HIS EXCELLENCY MR JULIÁN VENTURA, Head of Mission Embassy of Mexico, 16 St. George Street, London, W1S 1FD Phone: 020 7499 8586 Email:mexuk@sre.gob.mx  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Embamex-Reino-Unido/197866996938638 twitter: @Embamexru Salutation: Your Excellency Please check with your section before sending appeals after the above date.