There have been 150 preliminary investigations into attacks against journalists in the first nine months of this year initiated by the Special Prosecutor on Attention to Crimes Committed Against Freedom of Expression (FEADLE) of the Attorney General's Office (PGR) in Mexico, informed deputy director Alberto Peralta Flores, according to the website of the Mexican magazine Proceso.
Eleven of the cases are in the state of Oaxaca, where incidents are not as high compared to other states in the north and center of the country, which are more dangerous in that respect, added Peralta.
In four of the investigations, the journalists had to go into exile and were issued security measures for their protection.
According to Peralta, the risk of complaints regarding incidents, as well as the number of high impact crimes, have declined in comparison to last year.
Peralta pointed out that in the six years that Felipe Calderón was president, up until 2012, there were "more attacks against journalists" committed, and that there are 147 injunctions issued to protect the same number of communicators to date.
The official also highlighted that so far there are 47 investigations into homicide, abuse of authority and threats, with more than 50 people contained.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
