MEXICO CITY — 2001 · Suspicious Death
The Death of Lawyer Digna Ochoa
Human rights lawyer Digna Ochoa was found shot in her office in Mexico City's Roma district on 19 October 2001. Ochoa, who defended peasants and dissidents, had received threats, had been abducted in 1999 and had been granted protective measures by inter-American human rights bodies. Initially investigated as a homicide, the death was closed as suicide by prosecutors in 2002, a finding strongly disputed by her family and rights groups. The case was reopened in 2005. In a 2021 judgment published in January 2022, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights found the investigation 'absolutely deficient', held Mexico responsible and ordered a new inquiry.
- Date
- 2001
- Place
- Roma, Mexico City, Mexico, Mexico City, MX
- Category
- Suspicious Death
- Case Status
- Under Investigation
- Coordinates
- 19.4194, -99.1617 ↗
Timeline of Events
- October 1999Ochoa was abducted; protective measures were requested.
- 19 October 2001She was found dead in her office in Roma.
- March 2002Prosecutors announced the death was a suicide.
- 2005The case was reopened after objections from family and rights groups.
- January 2022The Inter-American Court held Mexico responsible for serious investigative failures.
Sources
- US News — Mexico committed serious errors in investigation of activist death usnews.com ↗
- Amnesty International — Dignified justice for women human rights defenders amnesty.org ↗
- Wikipedia — Digna Ochoa en.wikipedia.org ↗
- US News / Reuters
- Amnesty International
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
Related Cases
More cases from Mexico City
More cases from the 2000s
Categories
Collections
🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.