Legislators in the Mexican state of Sinaloa unanimously approved a law this week that seeks to protect journalists and human rights activists.

The law was initially proposed three years ago by citizens groups, but was finally taken up by lawmakers this month after the murder of well-known journalist Luis Enrique Ramirez.

He is among at least 11 journalists killed in Mexico so far this year.

Marlene Leon, director of the nonprofit Iniciativa Sinaloa, which has been pushing for such a law since 2019, said its passage is a major step toward protecting freedom of expression in Sinaloa. It creates specific sanctions for crimes against journalists and human rights workers and establishes an autonomous institution to address those threats.

That independence is important, Leon says, because authorities and politicians are often behind the aggression.