Honduras
15.08.02
Urgent Interventions
Honduras: 800 peasants detained during peaceful protest
Case HND 150802
Repression against peasants: 800 people detained
The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your urgent action in the following case in Honduras.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of the OMCT has received information concerning the case of repression against peasants, who were participating in a peaceful protest near the country’s capital, on August 13th 2002.
According to the Committee of the Families of the Detained Disappeared in Honduras (Comité de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos -COFADEH-), a group of peasants organized a peaceful demonstration in order to request Honduras’ President, Lic. Ricardo Maduro, help in the economic crisis that has developed as a result of the low market prices of coffee. Reportedly, the peasants were strongly repressed by members of the local police and the army, who attacked protest leaders and hundreds of participants. The reports state that the protesters were in the municipality of Zambrano (approximately 30 kilometres from the capital), in their way to Tegucigalpa, Honduras’ capital, when they were intercepted by police troops. The troops were acting by orders from the local police inspector, Ms. Coralia Rivera de Coca. As the protesters refused to stop the manifestation, the police used force by throwing water and tear gas to the participants. Many of them were arrested, others were injured, cars were destroyed and as many as 800 people were detained.
The local Red Cross members helped the injured people, and authorities evacuated them. According to the source, the police inspector and the Minister of Security ordered the detainees to be taken to the fourth Police Station in Belén. Ms. Rivera de Coca declared to the local media that “any manifestation would be repressed by the police, acting in accordance to articles 60 and 63 of the “Law of the Police and Civil Cohabitation”.
COFADEH demanded the Supreme Court an habeas corpus in favour of José Angel Savedra and of more than 800 detainees, requesting their immediate liberation.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT shares the concern of the Committee of the Families of the Detained Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH), and other human rights organisations, for the situation of repression that the civil population live, as well as the security and physical and psychological integrity of the arrested people. It strongly condemns the violations to the rights of freedom of expression, and freedom of mobility by the Honduras authorities.
Requested action:
Please write to the authorities in Honduras urging them to:
i. Take the necessary measures to guarantee the security and physical and psychological integrity of all the detainees;
ii. Guarantee the access to adequate and free medical attention;
iii. Order the immediate liberation of the protest leaders, as well as of the 800 detainees, in case that they have been retained without valid charges, or in case of having valid charges, take them to a civil independent and impartial court and guarantee their legal procedural rights in all circumstances;
iv. Carry out a thorough and impartial investigation on the excessive use of force by the Honduras authorities, and on the aforementioned detentions, in order to identify those responsible, take them to trial, and apply the legal, civil and/or administrative sanctions in accordance to the law;
v. Guarantee the respect to the human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country, according to the national legislation, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the regional and international Covenants and Conventions, and in particular to the precepts contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Addresses:
· Ing. RICARDO MADURO JOEST, Presidente de la República de Honduras, Palacio Presidencial, Tegucigalpa, D.C., Honduras, Secretario Privado: Xavier Arguello, Teléfono: (504) 235-6843. Celular: (504) 978-2528 y (504) 978-2529
· Crnel (r) JUAN ANGEL ARIAS, Secretario de Estado en el Despacho de Seguridad Pública, Ministerio de Seguridad, Barrio Casamata, Tegucigalpa, D.C., Honduras , Teléfono: (504) 220-1712, Fax: (504) 220-1711
· Abog. ROY EDMUNDO MEDINA, Fiscal General del Estado, Ministerio Público
· Col. Lomas del Guijarro, Tegucigalpa, D.C., Honduras, Teléfono: (504) 221-5670 y (504) 221-3099, E-mail: fiscal@edured.net
· Lic. PORFIRIO LOBO SOSA, Presidente Congreso Nacional de Honduras, Palacio Legislativo, Tegucigalpa, D.C., Honduras, Teléfono: (504) 220-5337, E-mail: pepelobo01@hotmail.com
· Please also write to the diplomatic representation of Honduras in your respective countries.
Geneva, August 15th 2002
Kindly inform us of any action taken on this case, quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Repression against peasants: 800 people detained
The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your urgent action in the following case in Honduras.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of the OMCT has received information concerning the case of repression against peasants, who were participating in a peaceful protest near the country’s capital, on August 13th 2002.
According to the Committee of the Families of the Detained Disappeared in Honduras (Comité de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos -COFADEH-), a group of peasants organized a peaceful demonstration in order to request Honduras’ President, Lic. Ricardo Maduro, help in the economic crisis that has developed as a result of the low market prices of coffee. Reportedly, the peasants were strongly repressed by members of the local police and the army, who attacked protest leaders and hundreds of participants. The reports state that the protesters were in the municipality of Zambrano (approximately 30 kilometres from the capital), in their way to Tegucigalpa, Honduras’ capital, when they were intercepted by police troops. The troops were acting by orders from the local police inspector, Ms. Coralia Rivera de Coca. As the protesters refused to stop the manifestation, the police used force by throwing water and tear gas to the participants. Many of them were arrested, others were injured, cars were destroyed and as many as 800 people were detained.
The local Red Cross members helped the injured people, and authorities evacuated them. According to the source, the police inspector and the Minister of Security ordered the detainees to be taken to the fourth Police Station in Belén. Ms. Rivera de Coca declared to the local media that “any manifestation would be repressed by the police, acting in accordance to articles 60 and 63 of the “Law of the Police and Civil Cohabitation”.
COFADEH demanded the Supreme Court an habeas corpus in favour of José Angel Savedra and of more than 800 detainees, requesting their immediate liberation.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT shares the concern of the Committee of the Families of the Detained Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH), and other human rights organisations, for the situation of repression that the civil population live, as well as the security and physical and psychological integrity of the arrested people. It strongly condemns the violations to the rights of freedom of expression, and freedom of mobility by the Honduras authorities.
Requested action:
Please write to the authorities in Honduras urging them to:
i. Take the necessary measures to guarantee the security and physical and psychological integrity of all the detainees;
ii. Guarantee the access to adequate and free medical attention;
iii. Order the immediate liberation of the protest leaders, as well as of the 800 detainees, in case that they have been retained without valid charges, or in case of having valid charges, take them to a civil independent and impartial court and guarantee their legal procedural rights in all circumstances;
iv. Carry out a thorough and impartial investigation on the excessive use of force by the Honduras authorities, and on the aforementioned detentions, in order to identify those responsible, take them to trial, and apply the legal, civil and/or administrative sanctions in accordance to the law;
v. Guarantee the respect to the human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country, according to the national legislation, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the regional and international Covenants and Conventions, and in particular to the precepts contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Addresses:
· Ing. RICARDO MADURO JOEST, Presidente de la República de Honduras, Palacio Presidencial, Tegucigalpa, D.C., Honduras, Secretario Privado: Xavier Arguello, Teléfono: (504) 235-6843. Celular: (504) 978-2528 y (504) 978-2529
· Crnel (r) JUAN ANGEL ARIAS, Secretario de Estado en el Despacho de Seguridad Pública, Ministerio de Seguridad, Barrio Casamata, Tegucigalpa, D.C., Honduras , Teléfono: (504) 220-1712, Fax: (504) 220-1711
· Abog. ROY EDMUNDO MEDINA, Fiscal General del Estado, Ministerio Público
· Col. Lomas del Guijarro, Tegucigalpa, D.C., Honduras, Teléfono: (504) 221-5670 y (504) 221-3099, E-mail: fiscal@edured.net
· Lic. PORFIRIO LOBO SOSA, Presidente Congreso Nacional de Honduras, Palacio Legislativo, Tegucigalpa, D.C., Honduras, Teléfono: (504) 220-5337, E-mail: pepelobo01@hotmail.com
· Please also write to the diplomatic representation of Honduras in your respective countries.
Geneva, August 15th 2002
Kindly inform us of any action taken on this case, quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.