Padre Ismael Moreno

In the last month, human rights defenders Father Ismael Moreno ('Padre Melo'), Mr Gerardo Chévez, Ms Leticia Castellanos and Ms Luci Mendoza have reported receiving death threats in retaliation for their work in defence of human rights.

Further Informationa

Father Ismael Moreno is the director of Radio Progreso, a radio station based in northern Honduras which has highlighted various alleged violations of human rights since the coup d'etat of 28 June 2009, and which is known for taking a stance of general opposition to the coup.

Radio Progreso is affiliated with the Latin American Radio Education Association, and part of the radio network of Compañía de Jesús en Latinoamérica.

Gerardo Chévez, Leticia Castellanos are journalists for Radio Progreso, and Luci Mendoza is a lawyer who works for the Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación - ERIC-SJ (Reflection, Research and Communication Team), a social research organisation associated with Radio Progreso and the Compañía de Jesús en Latinoamérica.

On 8 April 2010, Father Ismael Moreno reported receiving a message on his mobile phone which insulted him, told him he would regret having given his assistance, and they wouldn't hesitate to commit murder.

The threat has been interpreted as referring to Father Ismael Moreno's efforts to protect Irma Melisa Villanueva, a 25-year-old mother of four, who claims that she was abducted and raped by four police officers subsequent to an attack upon the peaceful anti-coup demonstration she was attending in Choloma on 14 August 2009.

Father Ismael Moreno subsequently took up her case and offered her protection.

This follows similar threats directed at Radio Progreso journalist Gerardo Chévez, who has recently received various threatening text messages on his mobile phone. On 29 March 2010 Gerardo Chévez received a text message to his phone which threatened to kill “shit-talking journalists like you”.

He subsequently reported the threat to the police. On 14 April 2010 another message was received which threatened the “elimination” of Chévez and, later, “the priests”, a clear allusion to Father Ismael Moreno.

Furthermore, fellow Radio Progreso employee Leticia Castellanos has reported being followed and subjected to surveillance, most recently on 27 April 2010, as well as receiving a death threat on her home telephone on 20 April 2010. Finally, Luci Mendoza has reported receiving various text messages alluding to the fact that she is being followed, one such message stating that “we know when you arrive and with whom you arrive, better [if you] give up all that resistance”.

These latest threats, when considered alongside the assassinations of several journalists in the last two months and the pattern of harassment towards human rights defenders since the coup d'etat of 28 June 2009, speak to the drastically deteriorating conditions in which journalists and human rights defenders work in Honduras.

Front Line believes that the threats against Father Ismael Moreno, Gerardo Chévez, Leticia Castellanos and Luci Mendoza are directly linked to their work in defence of human rights. Front Line fears for the physical and psychological integrity of aforementioned human rights defenders.