CPJ commends new Mexican legislation

New York, April 25, 2013-The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the approval today of legislation that will implement a constitutional amendment that gives federal authorities in Mexico broader jurisdiction to prosecute crimes against freedom of expression. 

“This is a legislative milestone and a step forward in the fight against the impunity that persists in crimes against the press,” said CPJ senior Americas program coordinator, Carlos Lauría. “We urge President Enrique Peña Nieto to immediately sign these measures into law and then ensure that authorities effectively use this new tool to bring the killers of journalists to justice.”   

The legislation passed today will implement a constitutional amendment passed by the Mexican federal congress in 2012. The legislation establishes accountability at senior levels of the national government, evading the more corrupt and less effective state law enforcement officials. CPJ research shows that more than 50 journalists have been killed or disappeared in Mexico in the last six years.