In defense of life: Civil Observation Mission (MOC) report on the situation of human rights defenders in Mexico 2015 = En defensa de la vida: conclusiones de la Misión de Observación Civil sobre la situación de las personas defensoras en México 2015

This report is a compilation of the information obtained in meetings and from documentation received by the five independent experts who were part of the
Mission of Observation (MOC) visiting Mexico in November 2014 to observe the situation of human rights defenders in the country.
The first part introduces the legal framework in which human rights defenders operate. It highlights governmental policies to promote and protect human rights that contrast with the backdrop of vulnerability and risk faced by human
rights defenders.
The second part of the report is divided into three chapters that address the issues that impact and hinder the defense of human rights: First, the criminalization of defenders that is fueled by a lack of appropriate acknowledgement of their work in Mexican society (Chapter 1); Protection mechanisms and how appropriate and effective they are for the protection of human rights defenders, with special
emphasis on the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists created in 2012 (Chapter 2); and the factors that contribute to impunity and prevent
defenders from carrying out their work (Chapter 3). It should be noted that the experts received many complaints about an overall failure to effectively investigate
and prosecute the perpetrators who put the work of human rights defenders and their emotional and physical integrity at risk.
Finally, the report includes the concluding remarks and recommendations of the moc in regard to the protection of human rights defenders in Mexico