Human Rights and the Environment

Case Study: Death of Ms. Digna Ochoa

Country: Mexico

Region: North America

Issues: Women

On Friday, October 19, 2001, the world lost a courageous champion for human rights and the environment. Ms. Digna Ochoa of Mexico -- a determined voice in support of dignity and basic human decency -- was found murdered by gunshot wounds in her office in Mexico City.[1]

Ms. Ochoa dedicated her life to representing victims of human rights abuses in Mexico, including Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera, two Mexican environmentalists wrongly convicted of charges they confessed to under duress of torture. While working for the Jesuit-run Miguel Agustin Pro Center for Human Rights (PRODH), Ms. Ochoa was the first lawyer to represent Mr. Montiel and Mr. Cabrera and led the effort to unearth clear and compelling evidence that the men were tortured until they signed blank pieces of paper later filled in with false confessions. The outrageous circumstances of Ms. Ochoa's death reflect poorly on the progress made to confront and resolve troubling human rights cases in Mexico. Over one year after the murder of Digna Ochoa, little progress has been made in the investigation of her death.[2] A petition filed with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on behalf of Mr. Montiel and Mr. Cabrera is pending.[3]

[1] See Sierra Club, Digna Ochoa, Human Rights Champion, Murdered (June, 2002), at http://www.sierraclub.org/human-rights/Mexico/ochoa.asp.

[2] See Sierra Club, Digna Ochoa, Human Rights Champion, Murdered (October, 2002) at http://www.sierraclub.org/human-rights/Mexico/ochoa2.asp.

[3] See Earthrights International, Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera v. Mexico at http://www.earthrights.org/litigation/montielbrief.shtml (updated February 5, 2003).

Last Updated: 09/09/05