Honduras

OVERVIEW

Human rights defenders in Honduras are subjected to acts of harassment, death threats, violent attacks, judicial harassment, defamation suits, ill-treatment, torture and killings. There is a growing trend of attacks carried out against human rights defenders by private security firms who employee members of former “death squads”. State security forces have been both directly and indirectly implicated in violent attacks on human rights defenders. The perpetrators of violations against many defenders of environmental, land and indigenous rights, are influential landowners or logging companies.

Environmentalists, LGBTI activists, defenders of economic, social and cultural rights, lawyers, journalists, peasant, indigenous and community leaders continue to face harassment and attacks. Defenders of LGBTI rights are particularly vulnerable and face discrimination as they are depicted as a danger to society, most notably by religious orders or politicians. The stigmitisation and harassment of LGBTI activists is of particular concern as they also carry out important work, training and educating local communities on HIV/AIDS as Honduras is the Central American country most affected by the disease.

URGENT CASES

Murdered human rights defender working on LGBTI rights Walter Trochez
2012/02/1

Across the country, human rights defenders from various organisations working on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) rights have been targeted by threats, surveillance, kidnappings, intimidation and killings. Despite these threats the defenders...

2012/01/27

Over the course of January 2012 human rights defender and independent journalist and editor of daily programme "En La Plaza" Ms Gilda Carolina Silvestrucchi has been subjected to surveillance and death threats.

Father Marco Aurelio Lorenzo
2012/01/12

During recent weeks there have been reports of attacks by police agents against human rights defenders working on issues relating to the protection of natural resources.

CASE INDEX

Murdered human rights defender working on LGBTI rights Walter Trochez
2011/06/20

Across the country, human rights defenders from various organisations working on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) rights have been targeted by threats, surveillance, kidnappings, intimidation and killings. Despite these threats the defenders...

2011/06/20

The Environmental Movement of Olancho (MAO) campaigns to stop the illegal and unrestricted logging that has led to soil erosion, the drying up of rivers and the further impoverishment of the people. Destructive and irresponsible logging practices have led to an...

2011/05/13

Front Line is deeply saddened by the news of the death of human rights defender and journalist Mr Héctor Francisco Medina Polanco on 11 May 2011. A few hours before, on 10 May evening, Héctor Francisco Medina Polanco had been shot and fatally wounded on his way home...

2011/04/5

Human rights defenders, trade unionists and journalists in Honduras are facing a wave of repression as the authorities crack down on ongoing protests in support of striking teachers' unions.

2011/03/30

A Joint Urgent Appeal from Front Line, American Jewish World Service and Urgent Action Fund Latin America:

On 28 March 2011, human rights defender Ms Miriam Miranda Chamorro was detained for ten and a half hours by authorities in the municipality of Tela,...