Guatemalan activist Samayoa receives human rights award from national Ombudsman

Geneva,4 November 2017 (OMCT) – ClaudiaSamayoa, member of the World Organisation Against Torture(OMCT) General Assembly and Coordinator of the Unidad de Protección a Defensorasy Defensores de Derechos Humanos (UDEFEGUA), yesterday received a humanrights award from Guatemala’s Ombudsman.

Ms. Samayoa, who founded the NGOpromoting and protecting human rights defenders in Central America, regularly threatenedto “pay for the consequences” of her work because of her outspoken position toprotect human rights defenders in her country and in the region. She receivedthe “National Human Rights Prize of the Myrna Mack Chang Order”, from the National Human Rights Institution (PDH) AttorneyGeneral Jorge de León Duque.

In a country that reached a record high of810 cases of attacks against human rights defenders in 2014, this is a welcome sign from the institution and recognitionfor the landmark work done by Ms. Samayoa, who calls forlegislative reforms to stop criminalizing public demonstrators and for policiesto better protect human rights defenders in the country.

“No one deserves this prize more thanher; it reminds us of the fundamental value of her work on the ground,” saidGerald Staberock, OMCT Secretary General. “The world needs more to recognizemore people like her.”

When visiting Guatemala in 2014, United Nations DeputyHigh Commissioner for Human Rights Flavia Pansieri acknowledged Mr. De LeonDuque’s efforts to strengthen the PDH, a turn-to institution for citizens toturn to when they feel their human rights have been violated.

The award granted by the PDH is namedafter the Guatemalan anthropologist assassinated by the Guatemalan military in1990. Myrna’s sister HelenMack Chang pursued prosecution of her sister'skillers before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The Governmentacknowledged responsibility in 2004 and has had to compensate Mack and herfamily.

The PDH award was instituted in 2014,when it went to Augusto Willemsen for his fight to promote the rights ofindigenous peoples. Last year, the award went to José Ruben Zamora, the founderof two Guatemalan newspapers who has been threatened and attacked for his work.

For inquirieson Guatemala, please contact mmz@omct.org; for media inquiries: lb@omct org.

To reach theObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, please contact: Appeals@fidh-omct.org or OMCT: + 41 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29