Last night Jesus Ochoa was speaking at the Teachers Club in Dublin on the death of his sister, human rights defender Digna Ochoa. His motivation for such speeches round the world is to prove that his sister was murdered because of her human rights work.
Digna Ochoa was a lawyer who represented Mexico's poorest constituents against powerful government interests, she also uncovered alleged torture and other alleged abuses by the Mexican military and police. Jesus Ochoa told the Epoch Times my sister was a good person, the fifth child from a family of thirteen, she studied for seven years at the convent of the Incarnate Word and was always doing good in the community.
Digna at 37 was killed on the 19th October 2001 at the human rights law offices where she worked in Mexico City. She died from two gunshot wounds, the fatal wound being to her head, beside her body was a note threatening the other human right defenders where she worked with the same fate.
On July 19th 2003 Mexico City prosecutors closed the case declaring it to be a suicide. But in 2005 the Ochoa family won a legal victory which obliged the public ministry of Mexico City to reopen the case and reconsider the evidence presented by the family's lawyers. Mr Ochoa said that apart from the gunshot wounds there were injuries all over her body, to the nose, cheek, ears, eyelids and leg. In fact it was acknowledged in the autopsy instigated by the family that there was eleven different injuries to the body. He added that medical, chemical and criminal forensic tests done in April 2006 all point to murder in his sister's case. He said that parts of her brain were found three meters from her body despite the fact that there was no exit wound from the bullet to her head.
Amnesty International has documented the continued use of torture in all of Mexico's 31 states. For thirty-five years Amnesty has chronicled hundreds of cases of torture, disappearances and extra judicial executions and there has yet to be made one apprehension, charge or conviction.
Digna Ochoa received many threats was kidnapped three times, was physically attacked and raped. Her first abduction she claimed was by state police officers. Her brother said last night that although she lived in constant fear she never talked about her cases and like her name implied she was a very dignified person.
At the time of her death she was defending two ecologists whose hearing was due to come up on the next day the 20th October
Digna was awarded the Enduring Spirit award by Amnesty International and today marks the sixth year anniversary of her death
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