Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the violations of human rights in Honduras since the coup d’état on 28 June 2009

UN calls for inquiry on human rights in Honduras

(article only available in Spanish, oddly enough)

Monday, March 15th, 2010 13:07

Geneva (AFP) - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navy Pillay, called on Monday an investigation into human rights violations after the coup in Honduras in June 2009, in a report submitted to the Human Rights Council UN in Geneva. Pillay called on the authorities of Honduras " to perform independent investigations into human rights violations committed since the coup, particularly with regard to cases of violation of right to life, torture, ill treatment, arbitrary detention and rapes, and initiate procedures to prosecute those responsible. " "The coup led to human rights violations, most of which remain unpunished," said Pillay. For the High Commissioner "the measures imposed under emergency law facilitated the repression of those who opposed the coup and led to the arbitrary restriction of fundamental rights."  Pillay criticized the "lack of jurisdiction of military authorities to exercise the enforcement of the law." Also "the suspension of guarantees was incompatible with international obligations of Honduras." "Whereas there were only a few cases of violence by protesters, the potential danger doesn't appear to have been serious enough to justify the state of exception," Pillay found. (in spanish: "Considerando que solo se registraron unos pocos casos de violencia de parte de los manifestantes, el peligro potencial no parece haber sido suficientemente grave como para justificar el estado de excepción", estimó Pillay) She also asked  Honduras to  "revise or repeal legislation inconsistent with international standards, including provisions relating to sedition and illegal demonstration". Similar arrangements are required for "freedom of expression, political and electoral rights, torture, independence of judiciary, police law and social harmony, and the law of state of siege."  Pillay urged Honduras to "develop a national action plan on human rights" and "avoid the use of military force in the enforcement of functions of the law." Finally, the High Commissioner recommended  Honduras to "establish an independent national mechanism responsible for the prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment." The Report: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/13session/A-HRC-13-66.pdf