HONDURAS : Carlos Hernandez, Dina Meza , Robert Marin Garcia , Claudia Mendoza ,Rosa Morazan and killed : Dionisio Diaz Garcia
lundi 11 décembre 2006
AMR 37/007/2006
UA 329/06
Fear for safety/Death threats
HONDURAS : Carlos Hernandez (m), President of human rights NGO Asociacion para una Sociedad mas Justa (ASJ), Association for a More Just Society
Dina Meza (f), ASJ Project Director and investigative journalist
Robert Marin Garcia (m), ASJ investigative journalist
Claudia Mendoza (f), ASJ investigative journalist
Rosa Morazan (f), ASJ investigative journalist
Killed : Dionisio Diaz Garcia (m), ASJ lawyer and adviser to the journalism team
08 December 2006
Dionisio Diaz Garcia, a lawyer working for human rights organisation Asociacion para una Sociedad mas Justa (ASJ), Association for a More Just Society, was killed in the capital, Tegucigalpa, on 4 December. On the morning of 7 December the President of the organisation, Carlos Hernandez, received a text message in English, which read : « You are the next because you are the heat [sic - head] ». Other members of the organisation have also been threatened and intimidated in recent months. Amnesty International believes their lives are in danger.
Lawyer Dionisio Diaz Garcia was working for the ASJ, a Christian organization working to promote economic, social and cultural rights. He had been representing various private security guards who claimed they had suffered unfair dismissal, among other labour rights violations. On 4 December he had driven to the Supreme Court to prepare for a hearing later that day. At around 10am, as he was nearing the court, he was shot dead by a man riding pillion on a motorbike. In the evening of 27 November, one of Dionisio Diaz Garcia’s colleagues had received an anonymous text message written in English : « The life of Dionisio Garcia could be in danger° !!! Take care, loock (sic) for someone closer to your enemies !!! ».
The ASJ uses an e-magazine to publish reports of its investigations into unjust practices by companies, and readers can post responses. When they included reports featuring certain security firms, threatening responses were posted. On 31 October one such message read : ...al final de cuentas la justicia ha tomado su propio sendero en el cual se han cruzado los de ASJ, a sabiendas de que seran ajusticiados por las malas acciones que llevan sobre sus hombros (« ... In the end justice takes its own path, which the ASJ people have crossed, knowing that they will be killed for the evil actions they are responsible for »). The same week, ASJ activist Robert MarÌn GarcÌa was warned by a third party that the location of his family home and his family’s movements were known. The warning included the phrase Te tenemos bien vigilado (« We’ve got our eye on you »).
Dionisio Diaz Garcia and ASJ Project Director Dina Meza reported being followed by or watched from various cars without number plates close to the ASJ office on various occasions, from 29 August onwards. On 25 August several threatening calls were reportedly made to the ASJ office, including one from a man who said, no saben con quien se han metido (« you don’t know who you’re messing with »).
The ASJ and other Honduran non-governmental organisations reported the threats and harassment of ASJ members to President Zelaya on 27 September and to the Attorney General the following day. During October and November they went on to report it to the Attorney General’s Special Human Rights Office and the National Human Rights Commission. Despite this, the authorities took no visible action to protect ASJ members.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The ASJ, established in 1998, receives funding from several international Christian organizations for its social justice work. It began investigating violations of labour rights by private security firms in 2004.
Honduran human rights defenders are frequently attacked, threatened and intimidated because of their legitimate activities. Government efforts to protect human rights defenders at risk are sometimes hampered by long delays in acting on requests from the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights to protect specific individuals.
There are over 100 private security firms operating in Honduras. Some of these firms are reportedly hired by the Honduran government, including several of those accused of labour rights violations by the ASJ.
RECOMMENDED ACTION : Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Spanish or your own language :
requesting that the authorities provide immediate and effective protection for all ASJ members and their families, in accordance with their own wishes ;
urging the authorities to order a thorough and independent investigation into the murder of Dionisio Diaz Garcia and the threats against other members of the ASJ, and to bring those responsible to justice ;
reminding the authorities of their obligations to recognize the legitimacy of the activities of human rights defenders and their right to carry out their activities without any restrictions or fear of reprisals, as set out in the UN Declaration on the Rights and Responsibilities of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Liberties.
APPEALS TO :
Public Security Minister
Alvaro Romero
Minister of Public Security
Ministry of Public Security
Edificio Pujol, 4to. Piso, Col. Plamira (Blvd. Morazan)
Tegucigalpa,
Honduras
Fax : +504 220 4352
Salutation : Dear Minister/Estimado Sr. Ministro
Attorney General
Leonidas Rosa Bautista
Fiscal General del Estado
Ministerio Publico
Lomas del Guijarro, Tegucigalpa,
Honduras
Fax : +504 221 5667
Salutation : Dear Attorney General/Estimado Sr. Fiscal General
COPIES TO :
Foreign Minister
Milton Jimenez Puerto
Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores
SecretarÌa de Relaciones Exteriores
Colonia Miraflores, Boulevard de las Fuerzas Armadas
Contiguo al Palacio de Justicia, Edificio Antigua Casa Presidencial, Tegucigalpa,
Honduras
Fax : +504 234 1922/1484
Human rights NGO
Asociacion para una Sociedad mas Justa (ASJ)
Apartado Postal 30676, ToncontÌn
Comayagaela, Honduras
Ambassade de la République du Honduras
Avenue des Gaulois 3
1040 Bruxelles
Fax : 02.735.26.26
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 19 January 2006
Le réseau des actions urgentes (AU) a proposé un nombre particulièrement élevé d’actions cette année et la liste n’est pas encore finie ! Fin juin, nous comptions pour 2006 183 AU et 165 mises à jour visant près de 60 pays et mettant en lumière des dizaines de sujets de préoccupation. Côté résultats, plus de 50 AU lancées cette année sont déjà closes dont une grande partie a connu un dénouement positif. Les sujets de préoccupation les plus traités cette année ont été :« craintes pour la sécurité », « craintes de tortures », « mauvais traitement », « peine de mort » et « détention au secret ». Cependant, le réseau des AU continue d’élargir le champ des motifs d’intervention : « privation de nourriture », « santé », « expulsions », etc.
Quelques bonnes nouvelles !
Burundi — libération de deux détenus : Thacien Sibomana et Poppon Mudugu, membres de l’AC Génocide Cirimoso, qui s’efforce de prévenir un nouveau génocide au Burundi, ont été libérés, aucune charge n’ayant été retenue contre eux (AFR 16/0082006).Brésil — Maria Aparecida Denadai n’est plus en danger : grâce à la campagne menée en sa faveur, elle peut aujourd’hui bénéficier d’une protection policière suffisante et adaptée (AMR 19/004/2006).
Cette personne a besoin de vousAyatollah Boroujerdi (Iran) |
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