Mexican Journalist Victim of Suspicious Robbery

Pablo Ramos, a Mexican journalist whose work helped expose police brutality in the southern state of Oaxaca, told the Article 19 press freedom organization that he was the victim of a suspicious robbery in his home, which saw his computer and several camera lenses stolen.

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Further adding to his suspicions, Ramos revealed that despite having submitted a police report, the local prosecutor's office did not have anything on file regarding the theft.

Ramos said there were no signs of a forced entry and that he happens to live next to a branch of the attorney general's office, suggesting that it was not a casual robbery.

The journalist added that important information, including victim testimony, was stored on the computer that was stolen.

Ramos said the theft was only the latest in a long series of suspicious incidents, which began shortly after his photos and videos made the rounds and helped reveal the role of police in a violent operation in the town of Nochixtlan that left 10 people dead.

The photojournalist said that on June 20, the day after the violent police operation, someone had tried to access his Twitter account without authorization, something that had never occurred previously.

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A little over a week later, someone knocked at his door for over 10 minutes, when Ramos finally opened the door, the person was surprised and left quickly.

Then in mid-July Ramos noticed a suspicious man watching his apartment building for a couple of hours. Ramos eventually confronted him and he also took off immediately.

Article 19 says Ramos is only one of many journalists who have faced intimidation or threats as a result of their coverage of the Nochixtlan massacre. The organization says they have documented 16 cases, including the extrajudicial killing of Salvador Olmos, who was allegedly killed by police.

In a statement, Article 19 said that the work of journalists like Ramos during incidents like the one in Nochixtlan plays “a fundamental role in the right to information” and helps expose human rights violations.

As a result, Article 19 “demands authorities refrain from any act of intimidation or aggression against journalists who were present during these events.”