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Two Mexican journalists have been separately murdered in the North of Mexico. The killings bore the signs of gang violence and bring the number of journalists murdered in Mexico this year to 11. Radio journalist Marco Martínez Tijerina was found in the North Eastern state of Nuevo León. His body had one gunshot to the head and bore signs of torture. On July 10, Guillermo Trejo, an employee of the State Commission for Human Rights in North West Mexico, was killed outside the offices of a newspaper he had previously worked for. Police found over forty bullet casings at the scene.
The body of a local newspaper editor was found last week (7 July), he had been shot dead in a rural area of Michoacán state. Hugo Olivera Cartera also worked with news agency ADN and the newspaper La Voz de Michoacán. He was known for his crime coverage. His offices at El Día de Michoacán were raided and computer equipment was stolen shortly before the discovery of his body. In February Olivera filed a complaint with the National Commission of Human Rights, he claimed he had been beaten by federal police officers.
Jean Leonard Rugambage, the acting editor of independent newspaper Umuvugizi, was shot dead outside his home in Kigali on 24 June. Local authorities recently suspended the paper but it continued to publish online. Exiled chief editor Jean Bosco Gasasira, blames the government for the killing because of an article Umuvugizi published last weekend accusing the Rwandan security forces of murdering the former army General Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa. Today (29 June) Rwandan police announced that they had arrested two men suspected of involvement in the killing.
Three Filipino journalists have been murdered in separate incidents over the last seven days. Sun FM broadcaster Desidario Carmangyan was shot on Monday 15 June, when on stage hosting a talent contest in the southern island town of Manay, Joselito Agustin, a broadcaster with DZJC Aksyon Radyo-Laoag, was gunned down on Tuesday by two unidentified motorcyclists near the northern town Baccara whilst walking home from work and on Saturday night, Kastigador reporter Nestor Bedolido was killed after being shot six times outside a karaoke bar in Digos city. All three had been outspoken about political corruption, malpractice and other illegal activities. Local authorities say they have set up a special task group to investigate the attacks.