Marithe Francois Girbaud Replica

Urgent: respect for all human rights in Honduras

are requested to send the following letter attached to: José Miguel Insulza


OAS Secretary General
1889 F Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20006, USA
svillagran @ oas. org

Mr. Felipe González, President
Human Rights Commission
1889 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006, USA
cidhdenuncias@oas.org

In our consideration, the Committee of Relatives of Detained and Disappeared in Honduras, COFADEH, made an urgent appeal to the international community to demand that the regime of Mr. Porfirio Lobo Sosa repression cease and desist from continuing to criminalize peaceful protests that occur in Honduras.

In fact, this March 17, in the cities of Tegucigalpa, Comayagua, and Danlí, police patrols and plainclothes men in unmarked cars harshly suppressed peaceful demonstrations by teachers and the Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular, FNRP. According to a preliminary report, there have been detained, injured and beaten in this event. Also on 18 March again there was a violent eviction of the protesters in Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras, causing the death of Professor Ilse Ivania Velásquez Rodríguez, founding member of COFADEH.

Previously, in the same week, made another urgent appeal COFADEH where he denounced "acts of harassment and death threats for which they are subject Defenders of Human Rights, among these Blanca Azucena Espinoza, President of a company's Peasant North Country, Dr. Leo Valladares Lanza, former National Commissioner for Human Rights, Pedro Vicente Elvir, Dagoberto Argueta Santos Eduardo Posadas and trade unionists and Karol Cárdenas Oliva Kenya, Human Rights Attorneys the Cofadeh, Trinidad Sanchez, Director of Alternative Trade Network, Hector Renan Soto, Group Director of Civil Society. "

Given these facts, and several previous reports, we call upon the OAS, to maintain the suspension of the State of Honduras as a member of this body, and likewise to the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights, to take appropriate measures to ensure full respect for all human rights in Honduras.

Sincerely,
(Signature)

Send a copy to:

Avilés Jorge Alberto Rivera
President of the Supreme Court of Justice in Honduras
Tel (504) 2269-3000 2269-3069
Mail:
cedij@poderjudicial.gob.hn
Luis Alberto Rubi
Attorney General of the Republic of Honduras.
Fax (504) 2221-5667
Tel (504) 2221-5670 2221-3099
Mail: lrubi@mp.hn
suazog@mp.hn

Committee of Relatives of Detained and Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH)
Barrio La Plaza , Avenida Cervantes, Casa No. 1301

Apartado Postal 1243 Tegucigalpa, HONDURAS
Fax: +504 2220 5280 (ask for "fax tone)
Mail: berthacofadeh@yahoo.com