Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2005 - Honduras
- Document source:
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Date:
22 March 2006
Assassination of Mr. Edickson Roberto Lemus192
On 24 May 2005, Mr. Edickson Roberto Lemus, regional secretary of the National Office of Rural Workers (Central Nacional de Trabajadores del Campo – CNTC), was murdered in El Progreso, Yoro.
Following the protests against his assassination, organised by CNTC in June 2005, Mr. Mario Robert Gómez was accused of the murder by the Prosecutor before the El Progreso Court (Juzgado de Letras Seccional de El Progreso).
On 10 October 2005 however, the San Pedro Sula Court of Appeal suspended the case. By the end of 2005, Mr. Mario Robert Gómez remained detained on "simple" charges of "illegal weapon possession".
By the end of 2005, Mr. Natividad de Jesús Hernández, close to the security forces and who, on 20 May 2005, had threatened Mr. Edickson Roberto Lemus with death, had neither been interrogated nor referred to the Court for investigation.
Acts of harassment against two OFRANEH members193
On 25 March 2005, the house of Mrs. Miriam Miranda, head of the Fraternal Black Honduran Organisation (Organisación Fraternal Negra de Honduras – OFRANEH), was searched by the police. Several agents of the General Direction for Criminal Investigation (Dirección General of Investigación Criminal – DGIC) presented an unsigned search warrant and proceeded to search her home for weapons, money and valuables. The issuing judge's only comment was to say that it had been an error from the investigation services.
On 30 May 2005, Mrs. Gregoria Flóres, another OFRANEH leader, was shot at and wounded in Puerto de la Ceiba. Mrs. Flóres represented OFRANEH before the Inter-American System of Human Rights (Sistema Interamericano de Derechos Humanos), denouncing human rights violations in Honduras.
No police investigation was open into these events.
On 21 September 2005, the Inter-American Court on Human Rights ordered the Honduran authorities to adopt provisional protective measures in favour of Mrs. Gregoria Flóres, her family, and other members of OFRANEH.
By the end of 2005, these measures had not been implemented, while the harassment of OFRANEH leaders continued. Mrs. Flóres had to flee the country to protect her life.
Threats and acts of harassment against several CEPAVEG activists194
Since March 2005, several activists of the Centre of the Venta Gualaco Employers' Union (Patronatos de La Venta de Gualaco's exchange – CEPAVEG), Olancho region, who are opposed to the construction of the hydroelectric station ENERGISA, were subjected to threats and acts of harassment.
On 27 March 2005, when going back home, Mr. Orlando Arturo Ortiz Nájera was apprehended by three policemen, who unsuccessfully attempted to confiscate his weapon. They left, threatening to return with an arrest warrant.
On 29 March 2005, Mr. José Gumersindo Pandilla Santos was attacked by a policeman and detained overnight at the police station. He was released on the next day, after being made to perform cleaning duties.
On 30 July 2005, Mr. Orlando Ortiz Nájera and Mr. Javier Pandilla Santos were arrested and pinned to a wall by six members of the elite national police unit "Cobra" who declared that they were executing orders. Mr. Padilla and Mr. Ortiz Nájera were detained at the police station without being given the right to examine the arrest warrant, then transferred before the Catacamas Court and finally released, with no charges filed against them.
On 2 August 2005, Mr. Wenceslao Santos Cardona was arrested at his residence by three police officers for refusing to have the ENERGISA electricity network installed at his house. That same day, during her visit to Mr. Santos, Mrs. María Antonia Caballero was arrested by the police and detained for one hour. On 3 August 2005, when Mrs. Caballero was discussing with Mr. Santos the possibility to lodge complaint against those acts of harassment, police officers, who were following her, arrested her on the grounds that she was at the origin of the complaint. She was taken to the Gualaco police station where the sergeant declared her arrest illegal and released her.
Finally, on 20 August 2005, two drunk police officers parked heir car outside Mr. Nájera's home, handling their weapons in a threatening manner.
The Special Prosecutor for Human Rights launched an investigation into these events, following a request made by the Committee of the Families of Missing Detainees in Honduras (Comité de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos en Honduras – COFADEH).
Attack and arbitrary detention of Mr. Feliciano Pineda195
On 5 June 2005, Mr. Feliciano Pineda, an indigenous Vertientes community leader in Montaña Verde and a member of the Civic Counsel of Popular and Indigenous Organisations of Honduras (Consejo Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras – COPINH), was attacked by paramilitaries. Shortly after being driven to the hospital, Mr. Feliciano Pineda was arrested by the police and accused of murder.
By the end of 2005, Mr. Feliciano Pineda remained detained in very poor conditions at the Gracias prison, Lempira region.
The Special Prosecutor for Ethnic Affairs opened an investigation into the role of the police and that of the authorities of the Escuela hospital in the acts of harassment against Mr. Pineda during his arrest and his stay at the hospital.
Harassment of several peasant movement's leaders196
On 10 July 2005, the offices of Vía Campesina, an international movement that coordinates organisations of small-and-medium-sized farmers and rural workers, rural women and indigenous communities in Tegucigalpa, were broken into by unidentified individuals, who stole three computer hard drives.
On 11 July 2005, Mr. Alejandro José Pineda Gómez, general accountant of Via Campesina, filed a complaint with the General Direction for Criminal Investigation (DGIC). No investigation had been opened by the end of 2005.
On 14 July 2005, the entry door to the house of Mr. Daniel Yánez, a farmers' leader in El Progreso, Yoro, was forced open by unknown individuals.
In August 2005, while Mr. Rafael Alegría, head of Via Campesina, was participating in a televised forum on the show Frente a Frente, the host of the show, Mrs. Claudia Hernández, received a telephone call from a man threatening to kill both Mr. Rafael Alegría and Mr. Renato Álvarez, a journalist who was acting as moderator for the debate. Mr. Rafael Alegría then brought these threats to the attention of the Honduran Minister of Security, Mr. Oscar Álvarez, who promised to make inquiries into the origin of the call. By the end of 2005, the investigation had not made any progress.
Search of Mr. Juan Barahona Mejía's house197
On 15 July 2005, the house of Mr. Juan Barahona Mejía, president of the Unitary Federation of Honduran Workers (Federación Unitaria de Honduras – FUTH) in Tegucigalpa, was searched, and the roof damaged by officers of the Criminal Investigations Unit. He filed a complaint with the Honduran Special Prosecutor for Human Rights, who launched an inquiry. The investigation was completed on 11 November 2005 and by the end of 2005 a judicial opinion had been reached (dictamen), but it had not been made public.
In October 2005, two men, claiming to be agents of the Prosecutor's office, asked Mr. Juan Barahona for his permission to make use of the FUTH premises. He refused and the two men left.
On 12 December 2005, the Special Prosecutor for Human Rights accused Messrs. Edurado Galdámez, Oscar Alexander Mendoza, Carlos Edgardo Suazo and Mr. Edgardo Díaz Núñez of the break-in.
Searches of CPTRT offices and threats against its members198
In January 2005, the offices of the Centre for the Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (Centro para la Prevención, el Tratamiento y la Rehabilitación de las Víctimas de la Tortura – CPTRT) were ransacked for the third time since October 2004; a computer was stolen and documents were destroyed.
On 12 September 2005, Mr. Juan Almendares, director of CPTRT, was stopped by two men on a motorcycle when he got out of his car near the entrance of a clinic where he provides free medical care. In addition, during the night of 18 September 2005, several unidentified men and women made threatening phone calls to his home and his relatives' homes. Similar calls were made several times a week between October and December 2005.
On 19 September 2005, CPTRT office administrator in Tegucigalpa noted that the front door frame had been forced and nearly broken during an attempted burglary.
Furthermore, on 14 October 2005, Centre employees found the main door to the building open. The security guard explained that two men had tried to penetrate into the CPTRT premises. Three days later, two suspicious individuals were spotted hanging around the building.
In November 2005, CPTRT employees received direct threats by telephone. Following this event, the Public Prosecutor granted precautionary protective measures for a six-month period.
Harassment of Mr. Oscar Aníbal Puerto Posas199
On 22 September 2005, an unknown individual came to the home of Mr. Oscar Aníbal Puerto Posas, director of the Honduran Institute for Rural Development (Instituto Hondureño de Desarrollo Rural), saying to his son that he was there to varnish the doors.
When Mr. Puerto Posas's wife, Mrs. Accise Assaf de Puerto, questioned the man about his presence, he refused to answer and proceeded to draw up a list of household items. He finally left the house without offering any further explanation.
On 23 September 2005, Mr. Oscar Aníbal filed a complaint with the General Direction for Criminal Investigation (DGIC). By the end of 2005, the Public Prosecutor had not yet opened any investigation into the matter. On 10 November 2005, COFADEH lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commissioner (Comisionado Nacional de los Derechos Humanos), who requested additional information.
Acts of harassment against defenders of indigenous communities200
Judicial harassment against Mr. Eduardo Jerónimo Gómez
On 22 September 2005, the house of Mr. Eduardo Jerónimo Gómez, leader of the indigenous Chortí community, in Santa Elena, La Paz province, was broken into and the documents on the activities of a community cooperative were stolen. In the past, Mr. Eduardo Jerónimo had been on several occasions the victim of death threats because of his involvement in Chorti community activities.
Furthermore, by the end of 2005, he continued to be subjected to judicial proceedings, following his involvement, along with other persons similarly prosecuted, in the 5 May 2005 protest requesting a better education for children, organised in front of the Santa Elena Education Centre. Since then, he has been subjected to acts of harassment and persecution. Although he lodged a complaint with the Santa Elena police, no measures were taken to put an end to the threats against him.
Arson of Mr. Wilfredo Guerrero's house
In the night of 7 November 2005, the house of Mr. Wilfredo Guerrero, president of the Defence Committee of San Juan Community Lands (Comité de Defensa de la Tierra de la Comunidad de San Juan), was burnt down and crucial documents related to his work in favour of the community were destroyed.
[Refworld note: This report as posted on the FIDH website (www.fidh.org) was in pdf format with country chapters run together by region. Footnote numbers have been retained here, so do not necessarily begin at 1.]
192. See Open Letter to the Honduran authorities, 12 August 2005.
193. Idem.
194. See Urgent Appeal HND 001/0905/OBS 083.
195. See Open Letter to the Honduran authorities, 12 August 2005.
196. Idem.
197. Idem.
198. Idem.
199. See Urgent Appeal HND 002/0905/OBS 087.
200. See Committee of the Families of the Missing Detainees in Honduras (COFADEH).
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