His Excellency, Francisco Javier Barrio Terrazas
Ambassador of the Republic of Mexico for Canada
Embassy of the Republic of Mexico
45 O'Connor Street, Suite 1000
Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 1A4

June 22, 2009

Dear Ambassador,

I am writing on behalf of Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE), a non-profit, non-governmental organization that works to promote and protect press freedom and freedom of expression around the world.

CJFE is extremely concerned with the deteriorating conditions facing journalists in Mexico. Journalists are killed, unlawfully detained, and experience various other human rights violations because of their work. Furthermore, cases of murdered journalists are often left unresolved.

We would like to draw your attention to the enclosed petition, signed by 33 CJFE members who attended the 2009 CJFE Annual General Meeting in Toronto, Canada, on June 16, 2009. We call on the Mexican government to make killing a journalist a federal offence and to ensure that the murderers of journalists are prosecuted. We urge the Mexican government to make the safety of journalists in Mexico a priority.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Arnold Amber, President

c.c.: Guillermo Rishchynski, Canadian Ambassador to Mexico;
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs