Digna Ochoa

Digna Ochoa (born Digna Ochoa y Plácido; May 15, 1964 – October 19, 2001) was a human rights lawyer in Mexico. During her career, Ochoa had represented some of Mexico's poorest constituents against government interests. On October 19, 2001, she was assassinated by unknown assailants inside of her office in Mexico City. Mexican state authorities initially declared her death a suicide, however amongst objections from human rights activists the investigation into her death was reopened in 2005.

Biography Digna Ochoa y Plácido was born in Misantla, in the state of Veracruz. Ochoa was a nun before she became a human rights lawyer. At the time of her death, she was involved in the defence of peasant ecologists in Guerrero. Her body was found in the law office where she worked. A note was found by her body, warning the members of the human rights law centre where she had recently worked that the same thing could happen to them.

Several investigations followed her death. Although Mexico City officials initially ruled her death homicide, in March 2002 they ruled that it was suicide, a claim that was disputed by several senators. The autopsy report indicated that her body had two .22 caliber bullet wounds. Her death was caused by a gunshot to the head. The entry wound was on the left side. According to the coroner's report, the bullet passed through the skull from left to right on a slight angle from up to down and from back to front. The bullet remained embedded in her right temporal bone. Ochoa was right-handed. The other bullet entered Digna's thigh from front to back.

In 2002, Digna received post mortem the International Human Rights Award by Global Exchange, an international NGO based in San Francisco.

In 2003, Digna Ochoa received post mortem The Ludovic-Trarieux International Human Rights Prize awarded by European Bars.