Five judges opposed to the military coup fired by the Honduran "Supreme Court of Justice"(the same one participating in the coup )

 Supreme Court of Justice violates the independence of the judicial system

Repression from the CSJ(Supreme Court of Justice) against members of  the Association of Judges for Democracy

*Dismissed judges state that this action from part of the Supreme Court of Justice is a consecuence
due to their positions after the coup d'état, since they participated in peaceful demonstrations, denounced publically human rights violations, and took legal actions regarding the protection of constitutional rights.

* The Association of Judges for Democracy state that disciplinary files were opened against the dismissed, which were resoluted on may 05 at night by the Supreme Court of Justice, deciding arbitrarily and in an unjustified manner to fire all the investigated judges".
http://voselsoberano.com/v1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5398:csj-propina-herida-casi-mortal-a-la-independencia-del-sistema-judicial&catid=1:noticias-generales

*Judge Ramón Enrique Barrios said that after the coup d'état he exercised his right to free speech and pronounced publicaclly. "It is proven that to have an opinion is not an offense. If they want me to shut up, I won't do it. For saying the truth, I won't do it".

*The Court is sending a message to juges telling them that they aren't allowed to be critical, that they must be submissive and obedient and that it is better to have a judge bound to superior orders and to political power, than to be an honest judge, responsible and independent.

Source: http://www.tiempo.hn/web2/secciones/el-pais/15622-despiden-a-jueces-y-magistrada-que-se-opusieron-al-golpe-de-estado.html#comment-4441

by Radio Progreso Honduras 

 

Judges Ramon Enrique Barrios, Luis Alonso Chévez de la Rocha, Guillermo Lopez Lone, Judge Tirza del Carmen Flores, and  public defender Osman Morel Fajardo, were dismissed after an illegal and flawed process, initiated against the  justice operators in San Pedro Sula .

The authorities opened disciplinary proceedings against members also of the Association of Judges for Democracy AJD, in retaliation for the critical position of Barrios, Chévez, Lopez and Flores against breaking the constitutional order of June 28.
 

The AJD, has since last February, a weekly program on Radio Progreso, where they denounced the deepening of the crisis without democratic alternatives to restore the rule of law.
 

The dismissed officials have participated in peaceful demonstrations, and facilitated workshops at the request of grassroots organizations, and streamlined complaints of human rights violations, all activities, consistent with the defense of constitutional guarantees.
 

The judge of the Court of Appeals, Tirza Flores, who two years ago joined the hunger strike against corruption and impunity reacted to her dismissal, "what concerns us most is the message of intimidation of colleagues who if not subjected to official discourse, they will pay it  with their job. "
 

Opposition
 

On behalf of the Frente Reinvidicador Democrático (Reinvindicating Democratic Front) of the Colegio de Abogados(Bar Association) and the Frente de Abogados en Resistencia (Front of Lawyers in Resistance) , the legal professional, Samuel Madrid pronounced himself this morning against the dismissal of officials.
 

"It is a thrust to independence and we feel it is part of a savage repression against the resistance itself. Since judges are part of it, "Madrid said at the conclusion of the press conference convoked by officials in the courts of San Pedro Sula.
 

 For his part, the manager of the Bar Association of San Pedro Sula, Mario Urquilla said "the reason why our judges are being arbitrarily dismissed at this time is due to them manifesting  a critical and independent posture as   citizens and as judges, as opposed to a constitutional breakdown in our country. "

Source:  http://radioprogresohonduras.blogspot.com/2010/05/despiden-jueces-magistrada-y-defensor.html

Part Of The Problem

by RNS, http://hondurasculturepolitics.blogspot.com/2010/05/part-of-problem.html

The not so Supreme Court in Honduras just showed more of why it is a major part of the problem in Honduras. Last night the Supreme Court voted 10 to 5 to dismissed four judges and a public defender. The dismissed judge's crimes? They criticized, in various ways, the overthrow of President Manuel Zelaya Rosales.

The dismissed professionals are Adán Guillermo Lopez, Luis Alonso Chevez, Tirza Flores, Ramon Enrique Barrios, and Osman Fajardo. All are members of the Association of Judges for Democracy, a group of judges and magistrates who opposed the coup.

Lopez, Fajardo, and Chevez were dismissed for participating in anti-coup rallies. Barrios was dismissed for writing an article that questioned the position of the Supreme Court that called it a "constitutional succession". Flores was dismissed for submitting a constitutional appeal of the charges against Manuel Zelaya Rosales and members of his cabinet before the Supreme Court.

The Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), an NGO promoting human rights in the Americas, condemned their dismissal. The regional director of CEJIL, Alejandra Nuño, said in a press release that the dismissal,

"signified a reprisal for the exercise of the right of free expression and of association; its also a clear intimidating message for any other judicial functionary who questions the authorities who supported the coup."

"This is a setback for judicial independence. The court has sent a message that judges should not be critical, but rather submissive and obedient," said Tirza Flores. The Association of Judges for Democracy called the dismissals "arbitrary and unjustified" with a "hint of politics". The group said it would pursue an appeal of the dismissals until internal possibilities were exhausted, and from there proceed to the International Court of Human Rights.

CEJIL announced it will work for their return "in all the legal, political, and diplomatic spaces."