(OTTAWA) The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear an appeal from the family and supporters of a Mexican activist who was shot dead after opposing a Canadian company’s mining project in Mexico.
The petitioners had asked the country’s highest court to review a federal ombudsman’s decision not to investigate the case.
The case dates back to 2007, when Calgary-based Blackfire Exploration opened a barite mine in Chiapas, Mexico. The project had sparked local resistance, demonstrations and a road closure.
Activist Mariano Abarca was shot dead outside his home in November 2009 after being beaten and threatened with death for leading protests against the environmental and social impact of the mine.
Members of Mr. Abarca’s family and organizations dealing with mining abuses had asked the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner in 2018 to investigate whether members of the embassy from Canada to Mexico had engaged in wrongdoing.
The federal court concluded that it was reasonable for the commissioner to decide not to investigate and found that the embassy had not violated a code of conduct. The decision was upheld by the Federal Court of Justice last year.
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