UNSR James Anaya

Geneva (12 October 2012) A group of United Nations independent experts, including the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, issued a press release today urging the Government of Guatemala to clarify the violent events that occurred on 4 October 2012 in the locality of Cumbre de Alaska, in the municipality of Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán, Sololá that resulted in the death of 6 indigenous persons, as well as 33 indigenous community members and 13 members of the military being injured.

"We urge the Government of Guatemala to continue to impartially investigate the events that occurred in order to determine the responsibility of not only those that participated in carrying out the crimes, but also of those in the chain of command," said the UN Special Rapporteurs on the rights of indigenous peoples, James Anaya, on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, and the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai.

See the press release (in Spanish)

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