A former mayor of the state of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico, was arrested Thursday (December 17th) for
"complicity"
in the 2017 murder of journalist Miroslava Breach, the attorney general's office said.
A Chihuahua court
"managed to establish the probable responsibility"
of Hugo Amed Shultz, former mayor of the municipality of Chinipas, for having
"sought and provided information to an organized crime group which ordered and carried out the murder"
, the prosecutor's office said in a statement, without providing further details.
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For this crime, a federal judge sentenced Juan Carlos Moreno, known as “El Larry”, to 50 years in prison, accused of being one of the material authors of the murder of the journalist specializing in human rights issues, drug trafficking and corruption.
During Carlos Moreno's hearing, it was revealed that politicians had recorded telephone conversations with the journalist, a correspondent for the daily
La Jornada
, which were allegedly handed over to Hugo Amed Shultz, a member of the National Action Party (PAN, conservative).
The former mayor of Chinipas,
"with the support of former PAN leaders in Chihuahua state, pressured Miroslava Breach to reveal her sources regarding a report which indicated that members of various criminal organizations
(. ..)
were candidates for elective office
,
”
La Jornada said Thursday after the arrest of Hugo Amed Shultz.
Read also: Mexico: a Frenchman murdered for his grands crus
The journalist, from Chinipas, was shot eight times in the head on March 23, 2017, as she left her home to take her son to school.
Mexico is considered one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, with more than 100 assassinations since 2000, including seven this year.
More than 90% of these crimes go unpunished, according to press freedom organizations Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Article 19. The latest murder is that of Israel Vazquez of the daily El Salmantino.
Unknowns opened fire on him on November 9 while he was covering the discovery of human remains in the violent state of Guanajuato.