Journalist Jesús Gutiérrez was murdered in Sonora on September 24, 2023. This Saturday, photos began circulating on social media showing three of his children physically assaulted by members of the National Defense Secretariat (Sedena) in their home, under the protection of the Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists.
According to Alondra Gutiérrez, sister of the victims, the assault occurred around 1:00 AM on October 25 in the Aviación neighborhood when the young people were returning home from work. A military vehicle stopped in front of their house, soldiers entered to search for the siblings, subdued them, beat them, and threw them to the ground, leaving without explanations despite the activation of the panic button.
Journalist Jesús Gutiérrez, 47 years old, was murdered while greeting off-duty police officers during an armed attack directed at them. The attack, which occurred the night of September 24 from a black Toyota RAV 4 vehicle, resulted in Gutiérrez's death and three injured police officers. This act adds to the violence against journalists in the country, revealing failures in the protection system for those who defend human rights and freedom of expression.
The Gutiérrez family, fearful for their safety after the confrontation, has not filed a formal complaint for excessive use of force. During the military assault, one 22-year-old brother was beaten in the head, and another 19-year-old brother was struck in the abdomen. Despite attempts by an uncle of the young men to explain their protection under the mechanism, the soldiers left without offering any explanations.
