The unit also filed a motion objecting to the decree limiting freedoms of the press and assembly, which the de facto government had used to bar two media outlets from broadcasting. Obstruction of Human Rights Investigationsįollowing the coup, the small human rights unit in the Attorney General's Office began investigations into some killings, illegal and arbitrary detentions, and cases of alleged excessive use of force by security officials. The accused woman was later released on bond, but the "sedition" charges remained. While many detained protesters were charged with destruction of public property and theft, prosecutors also filed charges against approximately 70 persons for "sedition." In one case, the judge sought to keep the accused, a teacher and sister of a prominent Zelaya supporter, in jail, even while the judge released a man accused of the same crime on the same day in the same place. According to human rights organizations who visited the detention centers, police posts, and jails, the security forces did not always register detainees or accuse them of any criminal activity. There were numerous reports from local human rights organizations of continued physical and verbal abuse in police posts and detention centers. Security forces also repeatedly used wooden batons, metal tubes, and chains to beat protestors who had been taken into custody or subdued. Pedro Pablo Hernández was shot in the head by a soldier at a military roadblock in the valley of Jamastran on August 2, according to testimony collected by the Commission. Local rights advocates identified several more homicides that they believe may have also been the result of excessive force by Honduran security forces. Roger Vallejos Soriano, a teacher, was shot in the head during a protest in Comayagüela on July 30. Witnesses told the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that Muñoz had participated in a rally in front of military roadblocks that day and had been arrested by the military. The body of Pedro Magdiel Muñoz, which bore signs of torture, was found on July 25 in the department of El Paraíso. Isis Obed Murillo Mencías died after being shot in the head while participating in a demonstration outside Tegucigalpa's Toncontin Airport on July 5. The excessive use of force resulted in at least four deaths. Police and military personnel responded with excessive force in cases where marchers posed little or no threat to others. The vast majority of demonstrations were peaceful, and there were no reports of protestors carrying or using lethal weapons, although there were scattered reports of protestors throwing rocks and other debris at security forces, and several businesses were looted. In the ensuing days the military occupied opposition media outlets, temporarily shutting down their transmissions, as well as government institutions and government-run companies such as the telecommunications company, Hondutel. It also gave the military broad authority to quell protests. In addition, the government turned a blind eye to other human rights problems, including the ongoing abuse of transgender people by police forces.įollowing the military coup the de facto government imposed an immediate curfew and issued a decree suspending key civil liberties, including freedoms of the press and assembly. It also applied the law selectively in what looked like a campaign to persecute opponents, doing serious damage to human rights and the rule of law. The de facto government led by Roberto Micheletti sought to consolidate control of the country through repressive measures.įacing international pressure to step down, the de facto government responded by continuing to abuse protestors and issuing decrees suspending basic liberties. Political upheaval in Honduras in 2009, which culminated with the military's removal of the democratically elected Honduran President Manuel Zelaya in June, led to widespread human rights abuses by security forces during the demonstrations that followed the coup.
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