As the fifth anniversary of the coup d’état passes, Honduras is increasingly violent and dangerous, especially for activists and journalists. According to the Global Study on Homicides released by the UN Office of Drugs and Crime earlier this year, Honduras continues to be the world’s most violent country, with a homicide rate of 90.4 per 100,000. In light of this growing trend, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) will conduct an onsite visit to Honduras between December 1-5, 2014 to observe and collect information on the human rights situation facing the country. They will hold meetings with both state officials and civil society organizations, and will visit rural communities, prison centers and zones designated as in-conflict including: Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba and Bajo Aguán. The last onsite visit from the Commission was in 2009 shortly after the coup d’état and then again in May 2010.
During the week, you can follow us on Twitter with the hashtag, #HondurasEnLaMira and share the details of the visit and the concerns of civil society.
During the onsite visit, JASS and CEJIL (Center for Justice and International Law) will lead a number of actions to bring attention to the importance of this visit and to spotlight specific human rights concerns and violations shared by the broader Honduran community. In particular, JASS and CEJIL have released a report with analysis on what women are up against in this growing violence. The report was presented to the IACHR delegation on December 1st during a public meeting in Tegucigalpa.
Additionally, JASS and numerous other organizations released a statement that covers five major human rights issues concerning the country (available only in Spanish).
Upon concluding its visit, the IACHR will share its preliminary observations during a press conference that will take place on Friday, December 5th at 12pm local time, at the Marriott Hotel in Tegucigalpa.
The IACHR delegation includes:
- IACHR Chair, Tracy Robinson
- First Vice-Chair, Rose-Marie Belle Antoine
- Commissioners José de Jesús Orozco Henríquez, Paulo Vannuchi, James Cavallaro, and Rosa María Ortiz
- IACHR Executive Secretary, Emilio Álvarez Icaza
- Assistant Executive Secretary, Elizabeth Abi Mershed
- IACHR Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Edison Lanza
- Specialists from the Executive Secretariat
The international community continues to maintain a watchful eye on the growing violence; help us by sharing our posts on Twitter and Facebook! #HondurasEnLaMira
