18 de March de 2010 Press Release

Murders of Honduran Journalists

March 17, 2010

On Sunday, March 14^th at 11pm, journalist and director of Channel 5 television at Aguán, Nahúm Palacios, was tragically murdered. According to the police, the criminals shot him almost thirty times with an AK-47, while he was driving back to his house located in the neighborhood of Los Pinos Tocoa. A person who accompanied him was seriously injured.

Since the coup on June 28, 2009, Nahúm Palacios had been victim of numerous threats and abuses by local military, especially by the Third Captain at Castilla’s Naval Base. This Captain also ordered the arrest of four other members of Televisora Aguán, Channel 5, as documented in the report we gave on August 7, 2009 to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

Meanwhile, the IACHR demanded that Honduras ought to issue interim protection measures for the journalist Palacios. In its report on January 20, 2010, the IACHR made explicit reference to the case of Nahúm Palacios and Channel 5 as follows: “In the department of Colón, at least two channels were forced to shut down its transmission by several days. Such was the case of Channel “La Cumbre y Televisora de Aguán”, Channel 5. Nahum Parker, director of Channel 5, told the IACHR on June 28 that “several members of the armed forces entered the channel ‘and’ forced to shut down its transmission’.”

In recent days, Palacios broadcasted vast information on the agrarian conflict in Bajo Aguán undermining with accurate facts and data, the strong campaign of other media sources and influential political groups that are attempting to delegitimize and criminalize peasant struggles for land.

On March 11^th, David Meza Montecinos was killed, a reporter for Radio El Patio de La Ceiba, and a correspondent for “Radio América”, and the “Noticiero Abriendo Brecha”. His execution took place in similar circumstances that of Palacios.

Also, on March 2, men who were driving a motorcycle fired more than forty times against Joseph Ochoa, who was traveling with the community, and Karol Cabrera, who was injured in the attack.

Violent deaths of journalists add to two others that occurred during the month of February: Mr. Julio Funes Benítez, syndicalist and leader of the Resistance Front (Frente de Resistencia) against the coup in his community, and Mrs. Claudia Brizuela, daughter of labor leader and syndicalist Pedro Brizuela.

These facts demonstrate that the human rights situation in Honduras not only remains serious, but also that controversial elections to consummate the coup have not ended impunity. Additionally, in the case of Nahúm Palacios, it appears that the precautionary measures to protect him were not effective since the State did not properly execute them because of negligence or complicity.

For the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights “Honduras must take urgent steps to secure the rights to life, personal integrity, and personal freedom”. All persons, without distinction, must be equally protected in the exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and political participation.

Given the significance of the allegations, the Observatory calls upon the Special Prosecutor for Human Rights in Honduras and the National Criminal Investigation Directorate to immediately investigate, identify those responsible, and seek for justice.

The international community should strongly condemn these acts and demand Honduran authorities for concrete actions that can demonstrate the State’s commitment to respect, guarantee, and protection of human rights. The judiciary must ensure that people have judicial guarantees that enable them to know the truth of the facts, and seek justice for human rights violations committed. Likewise, Honduras must implement security measures for the beneficiaries of precautionary measures as well as all those who are at risk.

Federación Internacional de Derechos Humanos (FIDH)

Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional (CEJIL)

Iniciativa de Copenhaguen para Centroamérica y México (CIFCA)

FIAN Internacional

Instituto de Estudios Políticos sobre América Latina y África (IEPALA-España)

Consultoría para los Derechos Humanos y el Desplazamiento (CODHES-Colombia)

Solidaridad Mundial – Bélgica

Instituto de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Centroamericana “José

Simeón Cañas” (IDHUCA-El Salvador)

Südwind Institut (Austria)

Centro de Políticas Públicas y Derechos Humanos – Perú EQUIDAD

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