Alma Delia Reyna

Cases
Location of case in SG report
2020-077-001
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2020
Country Geolocation

Latitude: 23.634501

Longitude: -102.552784

Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
Mexico
From Region
UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
  • OHCHR: OHCHR Field office
Dates of prior UN action
Unclear
Type of record
Named individual
Gender
Female
Was the victim a foreign national?
No
Was the victim a minor?
No
Individual's/organization's activity

human rights defender advocating for the rights of women deprived of liberty in the border state of Tamaulipas, Since 2018, Ms. Reyna has publicly supported OHCHR in the documentation of a case pointing to possible acts of torture and fabricated charges against a migrant indigenous woman, as well as malpractice by judicial actors and other public officials

Type of rights defended
  • Civil/political rights
  • Indigenous peoples’ rights
  • Women’s rights
Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
No
Reported trigger of reprisal

in relation to her cooperation with OHCHR in Mexico. Since 2018, Ms. Reyna has publicly supported OHCHR in the documentation of a case pointing to possible acts of torture and fabricated charges against a migrant indigenous woman, as well as malpractice by judicial actors and other public officials

Engagement with UN body
  • OHCHR: OHCHR Field office
Dates of engagement
since 2018
Type of attempted engagement
  • Submission of information to UN
Dates of mentioned reprisals
11 February 2020
Location of mentioned reprisals
Tamaulipas
Reprisal information

was subject to threats and her son was kidnapped; On 11 February 2020, a few days after communicating privately with OHCHR staff, Ms. Reyna’s son was kidnapped and later released on ransom with evident signs of physical abuse. During her contacts with the captors, Ms. Reyna was urged to “put an end to what she is doing,” “stop being nosy,” and “leave the state.” Due to the serious security risks, Ms. Reyna and her close relatives were forced to relocate. OHCHR has raised the situation with relevant federal authorities.

Types of reprisals suffered
  • Family/friends/acquaintances targeted
  • Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")
Alleged/likely perpetrators
Unclear
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
No
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
No
Government response dates
4 August 2020
Government response content

Regarding the situation of Ms. Reyna, the Government informed that there are no actions registered by the national protection mechanism on her case.

Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
No
Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
No
Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
No
How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
2
In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
2021
Follow up information provided in SG report 0
  1. The case of Ms. Alma Delia Reyna, a defender working on the rights of women deprived of liberty, was included in the 2020 report of the Secretary-General201 following threats and attacks against her and her family due to her collaboration with OHCHR in Mexico. The attacks included the kidnapping and abuse of her son, who was finally released. According to information received by OHCHR, during the reporting period Ms. Reyna fled her hometown with her family due to the high security risk to her and her close relatives. The local authorities have reportedly lost the records of the investigation of her son’s kidnapping, generating doubts about its effectiveness. Ms. Reyna and other members of her family are reportedly suffering from severe distress and have reportedly not received protection or other type of support from the relevant authorities. OHCHR in Mexico is in contact with relevant authorities.
Followup Trends 0
Deterioration/further reprisals
Did the government respond? 0
No
Was this case followed up by a UN body? 0
  • OHCHR: OHCHR Field office
In which SG report was this case followed up on? 1
2022
Follow up information provided in SG report 1
  1. The case of Ms. Alma Delia Reyna, working on the rights of women deprived of liberty, was included in the 2020 and 2021 reports of the Secretary-General following threats and attacks against her and her family for her collaboration with OHCHR in Mexico. According to information received by OHCHR, Ms. Reyna and her family were displaced from their hometown due to the high level of risks. While there has been progress in the criminal investigations on the case, including the arrest of three individuals allegedly involved, it is reported that Ms. Reyna does not receive adequate support from competent authorities. OHCHR-Mexico is closely monitoring her situation and in contact with relevant authorities.
Followup Trends 1
Deterioration/further reprisals
Did the government respond? 1
No
Was this case followed up by a UN body? 1
  • OHCHR: OHCHR Field office