RSF and Propuesta Cívica Lodge UN Complaints Over Forced Disappearances of Mexican Journalists

September 02, 2025 – Mexico –

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Mexican NGO Propuesta Cívica filed two new complaints before the United Nations Human Rights Committee in Geneva, demanding accountability for the enforced disappearances of two Mexican journalists, María Esther Aguilar Cansimbe and José Antonio García Apac. Both cases, dating back nearly two decades, remain unresolved and exemplify the persistent impunity that endangers journalists across Mexico.

Aguilar Cansimbe, who reported on organized crime and public security, vanished in Michoacán in November 2009 after leaving her home. Investigations into her disappearance were marred by negligence, delays, and missing evidence, leaving her family without truth or justice. García Apac, founder of the regional newspaper Eco de la Cuenca del Tepalcatepec, disappeared in November 2006 after being stopped by security forces in the same state. Witness testimony pointed to military involvement, yet Mexican authorities have failed to follow through on leads or court orders to act.

The complaints submitted to the UN argue that Mexico has violated fundamental rights, including the right to life, liberty, recognition before the law, and freedom of expression. RSF and Propuesta Cívica stressed that these disappearances are not isolated events but part of a broader pattern of violence against journalists in Mexico, a country now ranked among the most dangerous in the world for media workers.

At least 28 journalists have gone missing in Mexico since 2003, with the majority of cases unresolved. Families of the disappeared have endured years of silence and inaction, while perpetrators continue to operate with impunity. Advocacy groups warn that without justice, these disappearances will continue to fuel a climate of fear that stifles press freedom nationwide.

By bringing the cases before the UN, RSF and Propuesta Cívica hope to break through the entrenched impunity and set a precedent for international recognition of Mexico’s responsibility. For the families of Aguilar Cansimbe and García Apac, the complaints represent a step toward truth, justice, and accountability in the long struggle to uncover what happened to their loved ones.

References –

https://ifex.org/rsf-and-propuesta-civica-file-two-new-complaints-to-the-un-over-the-enforced-disappearance-of-journalists-in-mexico/