Tegucigalpa, 4 May 2018
On the occasion of the visit of the UN rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders, Michel Forst, to Tegucigalpa, 17 organizations, including Protection International, have signed a statement asking for guarantees to exercise the right to defend human rights in Honduras, a key action in the existence of democracy and the strengthening of the rule of law.
Thus, the signatory organizations ask the rapporteur to recommend the following to the Honduran State, classified in 2017 by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights as “the most dangerous country per capita” for the defenders of land and the environment:
Approve a public policy on comprehensive protection for human rights defenders, emanating from different sectors, especially from organizations working directly with human rights defenders.
Fulfill due diligence in the investigation of any act that presents a risk to the exercise of this role of defense, approve specialized protocols in the investigation of crimes affecting defenders, and create a specialized prosecutor’s office that has sufficient powers to implement the above.
Guarantee a greater participation in the decision-making process that affects us, in this sense, we make our own motto “Nothing is decided about us without us”.
And we also ask the rapporteur to urge the State to:
Cease the use of criminal law to obstruct defense work and create the conditions for the judiciary to act impartially and independently.
Ensure a differentiated approach in the actions taken by each advocate, community, and indigenous peoples.
Privilege prevention over police measures.
The signatory organizations are grateful for the commitment of Rapporteur Michel Forst to the protection of the rights of human rights defenders.
Signatory organizations of the statement:
Asociación de Jueces por la Democracia (AJD)
Centro de Prevención, Tratamiento y Rehabilitación de Víctimas de la Tortura y sus Familiares (CPTRT)
Coalición contra la Impunidad, compuesta por 58 organizaciones hondureñas
Colectiva de Mujeres Hondureñas (CODEMUH)
Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación (ERIC-SJ)
Organización Intibucana de Mujeres Las Hormigas
Red de Mujeres Defensoras de Ojojona
Red Lésbica Cattrachas
Colectivo Ansur
Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional (CEJIL)
DIAKONIA Honduras
Front Line Defenders
Hivos
JASS- Asociadas por lo justo
Plataforma Internacional contra la Impunidad
Protection International
See the statement (ES) in the following link: https://www.cejil.org/es/honduras-organizaciones-pedimos-garantias-ejercer-derecho-defender-derechos-humanos