Ontario Superior Court Justice Carole Brown summarized the Maya Q'eqchi allegations against Hudbay in her July 22 ruling:
"They [the plaintiffs] allege that security personnel working for Hudbay's subsidiaries, who were allegedly under the control and supervision of Hudbay, the parent company, committed human rights abuses. These allegations of abuse include a shooting, a killing and gang rapes committed in the vicinity of the former Fenix mining project, a proposed open-pit nickel mining operation located in eastern Guatemala," Brown wrote.
"The case of Margarita Caal Caal v. Hudbay Minerals Inc. is brought by 11 women against Hudbay Minerals and HMI. The plaintiffs assert that on Jan. 17, 2007 they were each gang-raped by mining company security personnel, police and the military during their forced removal from their village of Lote Ocho, requested by Canadian mining company Skye Resources (subsequently acquired by Hudbay) in relation to its Fenix mining project," Brown wrote.
"In the case of Angelica Choc... [alleges] Choc's husband, Adolfo Ich [Chaman], a respected indigenous leader and outspoken critic of mining practices, was beaten and shot in the head by CGN's security personnel. In particular, the pleadings allege that the chief of security for the Fenix mining project, Mynor Padilla, shot and killed Adolfo Ich [Chaman] on Sept. 27, 2009 at close range, in the context of a land dispute," Brown's ruling said.
"In German Chub Choc v. Hudbay Minerals Inc.... [regards] a gunshot wound sustained on Sept. 27, 2009 that left him paralyzed from the chest down. The pleadings assert that German Chub was shot in an unprovoked attack by security personnel employed at Hudbay's Fenix mining project, in the context of a land dispute," Brown wrote.
-- Arthur Williams, Citizen staff
