It is unbelieveable that the killings of human rights defenders and witnesses to their deaths go on in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. How do we campaign to get an end to them?

9 days ago, 17 year old Juan Ernesto Maciel, a key witness to the murder of the daughter of human rights defender Ms Marisela Escobedo Ortiz, along with his father, Mr Manuel Dámaso Maciel García, and his aunt, Ms María Maciel Garcia, were killed at their home in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. Juan had been scheduled to appear in court as a witness in the days following his killing.

On the night of 15-16 March 2011, a group of at least six armed men reportedly broke into the home of Manuel Dámaso Maciel García, María Maciel García and Juan Ernesto Maciel and shot all three individuals dead with automatic weapons before fleeing the scene. Two younger children, aged one and three years, were spared.

Those responsible reportedly travelled to and from the scene in two aging automobiles.

Will delivery live up to promise?

Human Rights Defenders in Honduras have scored another good win. The Honduran Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Ana Pineda, met with members of LGBT organizations on 21 January 2011. The organizations asked the State to investigate the violent deaths of members of the LGBT community - 31 murders since June 2009 - and to join the struggle against the homophobia that prevails in Honduras.

On February 22, 2011, the Minister of Security of Honduras, Oscar Alvarez announced that he would create a special unit to investigate crimes against journalists, LGTB people and other vulnerable groups.

We welcome the news that Honduras is creating this special investigative unit. Hopefully those brave human rights defenders who have been subjected to killings, rape and torture will have more protection now in their struggle for the rights of all marginalised groups. including the Environmental Movement of Olancho (MAO) - one of our long term campaigns. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-Protect-The-Environmental-Movement-of-Olancho/135358439856336

Hectic times in Geneva this week, loads of events/meetings with Human Rights Defenders who are here to try to get action from the international community on their situations and those of their communities. Particularly inspiring is Karmen Ramirez Boscan from the Wayuu indigenous people -a woman human rights defender in Colombia working against exploitation by a multinational open mining company called El Cerrejon and also denouncing the killing of up to 250 young people. She has to move all the time and cannot stay in the same place due to the risk she faces. The office also is targeted - if she goes there, the security system is activated -, not to protect her and her colleagues rather to alert the hostile forces. One week ago the anti narcotic police,who accuse them of being drug pushers, put a bomb in the community which destroyed the tracks for their horses and killed a 2 year old toddler.

A litany of deaths : How long will the barbaric mutilations and killings in Ciudad Juarez Mexico go on? When will the Mexican government act to stop these heinous crimes?

It is pure horror that these killings continue year in year out with complete impunity. Whole families are being wiped out one or two at a time. And all are terrified and women human rights defenders are most at risk.

On 25 February 2011, the bodies of Elías Reyes, Malena Reyes, and Luisa Ornelas were discovered at a petrol station, east of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. On 7 February 2011, they had been abducted by armed men. Elías and Malena Reyes are the brother and sister of Josefina Reyes, a human rights defender who was killed in January 2010.