Monika Silva Koniuszek murder sparks international probe calls

Polish activist Monika Silva Koniuszek was found dead on 8 June in her Montañita apartment in Ecuador. A forensic report confirmed death by mechanical asphyxiation, rejecting the interior minister John Reimberg's early suggestion of suicide.

Ecuadorian authorities and the Polish Olsztyn prosecutor's office are conducting parallel investigations. Polish prosecutors received a preliminary autopsy report indicating homicide and have requested full documentation from Ecuador, which is being translated.

UN special rapporteur Andrea Bolaños Vargas and the Inter‑American Commission on Human Rights have urged Ecuador to carry out a rapid, exhaustive, independent, and transparent inquiry. The activist had exposed alleged corruption and land‑trafficking involving the Noboa Trading group linked to President Daniel Noboa and had reported threats before her death. She also claimed to have handed evidence to the U.S. embassy in Quito.

International bodies and human‑rights organizations are calling for accountability and protection for activists in Ecuador.