Journalist kidnapped from his home in Mexico
Journalist kidnapped from his home in Mexico
New York, January 5, 2015--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the abduction of Mexican journalist José Moisés Sánchez Cerezo and calls on authorities to do their utmost to find him and apprehend the perpetrators.
Several unidentified armed men kidnapped Sánchez from his home in the municipality of Medellín de Bravo in central Veracruz on Friday evening and seized the journalist's computer, camera and other electronic materials, according to news reports. The journalist has not been seen or heard from since, the reports said.
Sánchez worked as a taxi driver and used the money he earned to found La Unión, a small weekly print and online newspaper that covered local events in Medellín de Bravo. The paper often criticized city authorities, particularly the mayor, Omar Cruz Reyes, and denounced local criminal activity as well as the poor quality of basic services like garbage pickup and the absence of street lights. A local journalist who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal told CPJ that Sánchez had not published a print edition in months due to financial constraints. The last story published on La Unión's website dates to April, according to CPJ research.
In recent months, according to local journalists and news reports, Sánchez had posted on Facebook critical commentary, links to articles, and videos. He also acted as a source for other Veracruz journalists, whom he often provided with photographs and other information.
In the days before his kidnapping, the journalist posted on Facebook several photographs of protests against the governor, Javier Duarte de Ochoa, as well as links to articles about a recent murder. On December 13 and 14, he posted several articles, press releases, and a video regarding the formation of a neighborhood watch self-defense group in response to local crime. It wasn't clear whether Sánchez was the author of any of the material posted on Facebook. Besides reporting on its activities, Sánchez was active in the group, according to local news reports.
More:
https://cpj.org/2015/01/journalist-kidnapped-from-his-home-in-mexico.php
