By Erica Laster Impunity Watch Reporter, North America
LA MASICA, Honduras –The government’s commitment to freedom of expression and encouragement from various lobbyists including IFEX-ALC, led to a pledge to investigate the increasing murders of journalists in the country. The United Nations Human Rights Council offered recommendations to the Honduran government which they accepted, including freedom of expression, increasing authorities’ power to investigate and judiciary independence.
Despite these affirmations for change, Henry Suazo became the 10th journalist to be murdered in Honduras in the past year on December 28, 2010.
Mr. Suazo worked as an HRN Radio correspondent as well as at a local television station. While leaving his house by bicycle in the La Masica municipality, two unknown assailants shot the journalist in the head. Authorities have not arrested anyone in connection with his murder.
IFEX-ALC (America Latina y el Caribe) will be closely monitoring the country’s compliance with the recommendations of the Human Rights Council. Created in Montreal, Canada in 1992, IFEX, the International Freedom of Expression eXchange network, helps promote and defend change and investigations into violations of the right to freedom of expression.
Since the Honduran coup in 2009, Honduras freedom of expression situation has rapidly declined with a rise in censorship and violence against members of the media. Anarella Vélez, the Vice President of Comité por la Libre Expresión (C-Libre), an IFEX member, noted that “IFEX-ALC’s support in the lead up to and during the UPR process was crucial in raising awareness about Honduras’s freedom of expression situation.”
The nine other journalists murdered this year in Honduras include: David Meza, Nicolás Asfura, Joseph Hernández Ochoa, Nahum Palacios Arteaga, Bayardo Mairena, Manuel Juárez, Luis Chévez Hernández, Georgino Orellana and Israel Zelaya Díaz.
María Antonieta Guillén, Vice President of Honduras, is heading the murder investigations of the journalists. Guillen expressed “consternation and condemnation” for the journalists murders and indicated that an investigation of previous murders demonstrates that they do not appear to be politically motivated.
Photo courtesy of IFEX. For more information please visit:
IFEX – International Freedom of Expression Exchange
IFEX – Government Vows To Investigate Journalists Murders Thanks To IFEX-ALC – 10 November 2010
IFEX – Honduras Accepts United Nations Human Rights Council Recommendations On Free of Expression – 9 November 2010
Honduras Weekly – Tenth Journalist Murdered In Honduras – 28 December 2010
