Mexican lawyer in Brad Will case claims harassment

Source AP

The lawyer for the family of slain U.S. journalist Bradley Will accused Mexican prosecutors Tuesday of harassing him with false accusations of leaking confidential information. Miguel Angel de los Santos said prosecutors are trying to intimidate him because he has criticized the investigation into Will's 2006 death. Will, a 36-year-old from New York who worked for Indymedia.org, was shot as he filmed a clash between protesters and state government supporters during the five-month political uprising in southern Oaxaca state. Two supporters of the protest movement have been arrested in the killing, despite the belief of Will's family that pro-government forces were behind his death. One of the two was ordered to stand trial on homicide charges last year. The suspects are supporters of the radical movement known as the People's Assembly of Oaxaca, which seized control of Oaxaca city for almost five months in 2006 to push for the ouster of Gov. Ulises Ruiz. Prosecutors have not provided specifics about the ballistics evidence or explained why the protester would have fired at Will, who supported the protest movement and was documenting the conflict. De los Santos, who has represented the Will family in Mexico, said the federal Attorney General's Office has summoned him twice for questioning over allegations that he leaked confidential information from the case to the news media. He has not been charged with any crime and denied wrongdoing. The Attorney General's Office did not return requests for comment.