Elections not observed by mainstream bodies - Amnesty reports abuse.
Unlike most elections, neither the UN, the Organisation of American States, the EU or the US-based Carter Center sent observers to the Honduras elecrion.
PRESS RELEASE
November, 30 2009
PRESS RELEASE
November, 30 2009
Honduras: Authorities must reveal identities and whereabouts of people detained today
( Tegucigalpa ) Amnesty International today urged the Honduran authorities to reveal the identities, whereabouts and charges against all people detained on the eve and day of the presidential elections.
In one of the most worrying cases, the whereabouts of Jensys Mario Umanzor Gutierrez remains unknown. He was last seen at 2:30am this morning in the custody of a Police Patrol whose identification number was recorded by witnesses.
After finding out about the case, the Amnesty International delegation in Honduras assisted in the filing of an habeas corpus – a legal procedure to find the whereabouts and well being of someone detained by police – at the Juzgado Penal Francisco Morazan.
The Supreme Court, amongst several other courts, was closed and neither was anyone available by phone either to receive the petition. The court should have a judge or other court-appointed official available to deal with such urgent matters.
“Filing a petition to find where a detainee has been taken is an almost impossible task in Honduras ,” said Javier Zuñiga, head of the Amnesty International delegation in Honduras . “The delays and barriers imposed by the authorities to find even basic information goes to show the extent of violations taking place in Honduras today, and how vulnerable Honduran citizens are to abuses by the police and security forces,” said Javier Zuñiga.
Habeas Corpus is a legal procedure by which a judge is required to demand the police reveal the whereabouts of a person who is believed to have been detained and allow the judge to see the detainee. This is a basic guarantee needed to protect people from torture, ill-treatment and enforced disappearance.
“When someone is taken by the police and nobody knows where to, that person is at serious risk of abuse such as torture. Habeas Corpus is an essential protection mechanism which cannot be suspended or denied even during a war or state of emergency,” said Javier Zuñiga.
The Amnesty International delegates also met with two men who were arrested today under terrorism charges. The men alleged they were beaten and forced to sign statements which they did not agree with. It is unclear what will happen to them.
“We are very worried about the way these two men were arrested and for their wellbeing,” said Javier Zuñiga. “We have very serious doubts about the allegations made against the individuals and their chances of a fair trial.”
In a separate incident, today at 12.30 a local human rights organization discovered 14 minors detained at Jefatura Metropolitana No.3 police station in Tegucigalpa . The minors had been arrested while they were chatting in small groups on street corners near polling stations.
During two of the multiple arrests the police asked the minors: “Why are you here meeting in groups of more than four people when there is a decree which prohibits you from doing so?”.
In one of the most worrying cases, the whereabouts of Jensys Mario Umanzor Gutierrez remains unknown. He was last seen at 2:30am this morning in the custody of a Police Patrol whose identification number was recorded by witnesses.
After finding out about the case, the Amnesty International delegation in Honduras assisted in the filing of an habeas corpus – a legal procedure to find the whereabouts and well being of someone detained by police – at the Juzgado Penal Francisco Morazan.
The Supreme Court, amongst several other courts, was closed and neither was anyone available by phone either to receive the petition. The court should have a judge or other court-appointed official available to deal with such urgent matters.
“Filing a petition to find where a detainee has been taken is an almost impossible task in Honduras ,” said Javier Zuñiga, head of the Amnesty International delegation in Honduras . “The delays and barriers imposed by the authorities to find even basic information goes to show the extent of violations taking place in Honduras today, and how vulnerable Honduran citizens are to abuses by the police and security forces,” said Javier Zuñiga.
Habeas Corpus is a legal procedure by which a judge is required to demand the police reveal the whereabouts of a person who is believed to have been detained and allow the judge to see the detainee. This is a basic guarantee needed to protect people from torture, ill-treatment and enforced disappearance.
“When someone is taken by the police and nobody knows where to, that person is at serious risk of abuse such as torture. Habeas Corpus is an essential protection mechanism which cannot be suspended or denied even during a war or state of emergency,” said Javier Zuñiga.
The Amnesty International delegates also met with two men who were arrested today under terrorism charges. The men alleged they were beaten and forced to sign statements which they did not agree with. It is unclear what will happen to them.
“We are very worried about the way these two men were arrested and for their wellbeing,” said Javier Zuñiga. “We have very serious doubts about the allegations made against the individuals and their chances of a fair trial.”
In a separate incident, today at 12.30 a local human rights organization discovered 14 minors detained at Jefatura Metropolitana No.3 police station in Tegucigalpa . The minors had been arrested while they were chatting in small groups on street corners near polling stations.
During two of the multiple arrests the police asked the minors: “Why are you here meeting in groups of more than four people when there is a decree which prohibits you from doing so?”.
The police were referring to a decree issued last September which was officially annulled on 19 October. All 14 were released without charge.
Amnesty International also received information that several people have been detained across the country. In San Pedro Sula , people have reported having been beaten while participating in a demonstration and subsequently taken into custody. In one instance, demonstrators threw stones at the police, causing a journalist to be injured.
In other parts of the country, human rights organizations suffered attacks and acts of intimidation. On 28 November, Red Comal, a collective of farmers and small scale agricultural producers in Siguatepeque had their offices raided, and computers and cash seized.
“Justice seems to have been absent also on Election Day in Honduras,” said Javier Zuñiga. “It is therefore essential the whereabouts of all people detained are made public and all incidents of abuse investigated. The rule of law must fully be restored.”
Amnesty International also received information that several people have been detained across the country. In San Pedro Sula , people have reported having been beaten while participating in a demonstration and subsequently taken into custody. In one instance, demonstrators threw stones at the police, causing a journalist to be injured.
In other parts of the country, human rights organizations suffered attacks and acts of intimidation. On 28 November, Red Comal, a collective of farmers and small scale agricultural producers in Siguatepeque had their offices raided, and computers and cash seized.
“Justice seems to have been absent also on Election Day in Honduras,” said Javier Zuñiga. “It is therefore essential the whereabouts of all people detained are made public and all incidents of abuse investigated. The rule of law must fully be restored.”
For more information or to set up an interview, please contact: Josefina Salomon,jsalomon@amnesty.org , Mobile ( Honduras ): 504 957 77 162.
INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION NEEDED INTO HONDURAS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
The Honduran security forces' use of tear gas raises questions about their training
© Private
Activists killed during demonstrations in Honduras in 2009
© Amnesty International
3 December 2009
At the end of a 10-day visit to Honduras during the country's presidential elections, Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation to ensure all those responsible for human rights abuses are brought to justice and the victims given reparations.
"The crisis in Honduras does not end with the election results, the authorities cannot return to business as usual without ensuring human rights safeguards," said Javier Zúñiga, head of the Amnesty International delegation in Honduras.
"There are dozens of people in Honduras still suffering the effects of the abuses carried out in the past five months. Failure to punish those responsible and to fix the malfunctioning system would open the door for more abuses in the future."
During its visit to Honduras, Amnesty International's delegation documented numerous cases of human rights abuses carried out since last June, when President Manuel Zelaya was forced into exile.
These included killings following excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests of demonstrators by police and military, indiscriminate and unnecessary use of tear gas, ill treatment of detainees in custody, violence against women, harassment of activists, journalists, lawyers and judges.
The organization found that members of the military assigned to law enforcement duties were involved in committing serious human rights violations such as killings following excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests and illegal raids.
Amnesty International also found that the civilian de facto authorities failed to do anything to prevent the indiscriminate use of tear gas against protesters. In some cases gas canisters were thrown inside offices.
Most people interviewed said that after being injured or made ill by the gas, they were too scared to seek medical assistance as police and military entered hospitals in order to intimidate them.
On 23 September, Marta (not her real name) was attacked by police while she was taking part in a demonstration. She was hit with a tear gas can, which burned her leg and caused her to have breathing problems. While she was hiding from the gases in a church, police caught up with her and hit her so badly they broke her arm. She didn’t go to the hospital until several days later because she was scared the police would harass her there. Her arm still hasn’t recovered and the burn to her leg is still visible.
"We spoke to people who still had eye irritation and burns to the skin several weeks after having been affected by tear gas," said Javier Zúñiga. "Not only did police use gas against peaceful protesters and in enclosed buildings, doctors were not given information about the chemical substances used in the cans to enable them to treat victims properly."
"The security forces' use of tear gas raises questions about the level of training received that could have minimized the risks of serious injury or death," said Javier Zúñiga.
Representatives of human rights organizations, journalists, lawyers and judges told Amnesty International about the threats and harassment they received for being seen as opposed to the de facto authorities.
Members of a national judges association were called to a hearing to account for their participation in peaceful demonstrations.
"During the crisis, institutions in Honduras have blatantly failed to protect basic human rights," said Javier Zúñiga. "It is particularly worrying that in Honduras the conditions which enable human rights abusers to go unpunished exist."
Amnesty International urged the future Honduran government to:
"The crisis in Honduras does not end with the election results, the authorities cannot return to business as usual without ensuring human rights safeguards," said Javier Zúñiga, head of the Amnesty International delegation in Honduras.
"There are dozens of people in Honduras still suffering the effects of the abuses carried out in the past five months. Failure to punish those responsible and to fix the malfunctioning system would open the door for more abuses in the future."
During its visit to Honduras, Amnesty International's delegation documented numerous cases of human rights abuses carried out since last June, when President Manuel Zelaya was forced into exile.
These included killings following excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests of demonstrators by police and military, indiscriminate and unnecessary use of tear gas, ill treatment of detainees in custody, violence against women, harassment of activists, journalists, lawyers and judges.
The organization found that members of the military assigned to law enforcement duties were involved in committing serious human rights violations such as killings following excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests and illegal raids.
Amnesty International also found that the civilian de facto authorities failed to do anything to prevent the indiscriminate use of tear gas against protesters. In some cases gas canisters were thrown inside offices.
Most people interviewed said that after being injured or made ill by the gas, they were too scared to seek medical assistance as police and military entered hospitals in order to intimidate them.
On 23 September, Marta (not her real name) was attacked by police while she was taking part in a demonstration. She was hit with a tear gas can, which burned her leg and caused her to have breathing problems. While she was hiding from the gases in a church, police caught up with her and hit her so badly they broke her arm. She didn’t go to the hospital until several days later because she was scared the police would harass her there. Her arm still hasn’t recovered and the burn to her leg is still visible.
"We spoke to people who still had eye irritation and burns to the skin several weeks after having been affected by tear gas," said Javier Zúñiga. "Not only did police use gas against peaceful protesters and in enclosed buildings, doctors were not given information about the chemical substances used in the cans to enable them to treat victims properly."
"The security forces' use of tear gas raises questions about the level of training received that could have minimized the risks of serious injury or death," said Javier Zúñiga.
Representatives of human rights organizations, journalists, lawyers and judges told Amnesty International about the threats and harassment they received for being seen as opposed to the de facto authorities.
Members of a national judges association were called to a hearing to account for their participation in peaceful demonstrations.
"During the crisis, institutions in Honduras have blatantly failed to protect basic human rights," said Javier Zúñiga. "It is particularly worrying that in Honduras the conditions which enable human rights abusers to go unpunished exist."
Amnesty International urged the future Honduran government to:
- Repeal all legislation, decrees and executive orders issued by the de facto authorities;
- Ensure the military return to their barracks and that their law enforcement function is withdrawn;
- Ensure that all members of the security forces are held accountable for human rights abuses committed between 28th June and end of November;
- Develop a National Plan for the protection of human rights.
"It is essential that the international community does not forget people in Honduras by giving a blank cheque to the new authorities over-looking the abuses of the past five months," said Javier Zúñiga.
- Call on Honduras to hold security forces accountable for human rights
abuses
Tegucigalpa - Amnesty International (AI) denounced Friday an atmosphere of intimidation in the run-up to controversial general election in Honduras. In a statement, AI charged that the de facto government in Honduras has stockpiled anti-riot material such as tear-gas ahead of Sunday's elections.
Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has rejected the election results and called upon Hondurans to boycott it. Amnesty International is one of the few nongovernmental organizations
AI delegate in Tegucigalpa Javier Zuniga told the German Press Agency
Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has rejected the election results and called upon Hondurans to boycott it. Amnesty International is one of the few nongovernmental organizations
AI delegate in Tegucigalpa Javier Zuniga told the German Press Agency
No comments:
Post a Comment