Honduras
23.07.03
Urgent Interventions
Honduras: killing of an environmental activist and threats
Case HND 230703. ESCR
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concern
Right to Life/Killing/Threats
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Honduras.
Brief description of the situation
The World Organisation against Torture (OMCT) has been informed by a reliable source about the killing of Oscar Arturo Reyes on 18 July 2003 in the Rosario Municipality, Olancho Department, Honduras.
It is reported that on 18 July 2003, at 8:00 pm, three heavily-armed men shot and killed 23 years old Oscar Arturo Reyes while he was washing his face in the back yard of his house. Oscar Arturo Reyes was reportedly hit with 6 bullets during the attack. According to the information received, the three men, after having fired at Oscar Arturo Reyes, fled through a canal that leads to the river of the Rosario Municipality. According to the source, when Oscar Arturo Reyes’ colleagues came to his house after having learned about the attack, they saw four trucks that were driving from the Rosario Municipality at high speed and were not transporting any wood, as it is usually the case. (for further details, see the Urgent Appeal Released by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders HND 002 / 0703 / OBS035)
Oscar Arturo Reyes was involved in the defence and promotion of the environment and was part of the ‘Pastoral Social del Medio Ambiente’, whose headquarters are located in Juticalpa, the main city of the Olancho Department. It is reported that in March 2003, Oscar Arturo Reyes had to move from the Guata to Rosario Municipality due to death threats that he had received. Following the ‘Marcha pour la Vida’, a list of names of environmentalist activists and leaders to be assassinated, including that of Oscar Arturo Reyes, has reportedly been circulated.
Background Information
The assassination of Oscar Arturo Reyes occurred against the background of serious threats, persecution and attempted killings targeted against environmental activists, in the Olancho Department (see Appeal HND 002 / 0703 / OBS035). According to the information received, these acts have been perpetrated by timber dealers in collusion with the authorities and are related to the exploitation of wood in the Department by timber enterprises and the related opposition to this that has been engendered within the affected communities.
According to the information received, theses acts have seriously intensified following the refusal by President Ricardo Maduro to listen to and take into account the demands and concerns raised by the organisers of the ‘Marcha por la Vida’, which took place from June 20 to June 26, 2003.
The ‘Marcha por la Vida’ reportedly started on 20 June 2003 in Juticalpa, Olancho Department, and was supported by 27 workers, students, farmers, human rights and church-based organisations. It protested against the uncontrolled deforestation, forest exploitation and illegal cutting down of trees that are taking place in the Olancho Department. Among other claims, the supporters of the march were asking for an unconditional stop to the commercial cutting down of trees in the Olancho Department; the launching of an independent evaluation on the actual status of natural resources in the Olancho Department; and the establishment of an independent Commission to supervise and monitor the suspension of commercial cutting down of trees and to facilitate the evaluation of the situation.
According to the information received, the commercial cutting down of trees in the Olancho Department is carried out on a large scale and is having a serious impact on the affected communities, notably with respect to their access to natural resources and water reserves. It is reported that very often the Forest Administration (AFE-COHDEFOR) is delivering licences to timber enterprises to operate in the region without the adequate legal requisites.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities in Honduras urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the Olancho environment activists;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of the killing of Oscar Arturo Reyes, as well as the harassment, persecution and attempted killings of the Olancho environment activists in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. put a stop to the harassment and persecution of the Olancho environment activists;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country, including economic, social and cultural rights in accordance with international human rights standards.
Addresses
President of Honduras, Lic. Ricardo Maduro, Presidente de la República de Honduras, Casa Presidencial, Boulevard Juan Pablo Segundo, Palacio José Cecilio del Valle, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Fax: +504 2214552
Minister of Security, Dr. Oscar Alvarez, Ministerio de Seguridad Pública, Edificio Poujol, 4o piso Col. Palmira (Blvd. Morazán) Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Fax: +504 220 4352
Attorney General, Dr. Roy Edmundo Medina, Fiscalía General de la República, Colonia Loma del Guijaro, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Fax: +504 221 5666
Director of the National Police, Sra Coralia Rivera Ramos , Cuartel General de la Policía Preventiva, Barrio Casamata, Paseo el Picacho, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Tel/fax: +504 238 1323
National Commissioner for the Protection of Human Rights, Ramón Custodio López, Avda. La Paz No. 2444, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Fax: +504 235 35 32
Please also write to the embassies of Honduras in your respective country.
Geneva, July 23, 2003
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concern
Right to Life/Killing/Threats
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Honduras.
Brief description of the situation
The World Organisation against Torture (OMCT) has been informed by a reliable source about the killing of Oscar Arturo Reyes on 18 July 2003 in the Rosario Municipality, Olancho Department, Honduras.
It is reported that on 18 July 2003, at 8:00 pm, three heavily-armed men shot and killed 23 years old Oscar Arturo Reyes while he was washing his face in the back yard of his house. Oscar Arturo Reyes was reportedly hit with 6 bullets during the attack. According to the information received, the three men, after having fired at Oscar Arturo Reyes, fled through a canal that leads to the river of the Rosario Municipality. According to the source, when Oscar Arturo Reyes’ colleagues came to his house after having learned about the attack, they saw four trucks that were driving from the Rosario Municipality at high speed and were not transporting any wood, as it is usually the case. (for further details, see the Urgent Appeal Released by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders HND 002 / 0703 / OBS035)
Oscar Arturo Reyes was involved in the defence and promotion of the environment and was part of the ‘Pastoral Social del Medio Ambiente’, whose headquarters are located in Juticalpa, the main city of the Olancho Department. It is reported that in March 2003, Oscar Arturo Reyes had to move from the Guata to Rosario Municipality due to death threats that he had received. Following the ‘Marcha pour la Vida’, a list of names of environmentalist activists and leaders to be assassinated, including that of Oscar Arturo Reyes, has reportedly been circulated.
Background Information
The assassination of Oscar Arturo Reyes occurred against the background of serious threats, persecution and attempted killings targeted against environmental activists, in the Olancho Department (see Appeal HND 002 / 0703 / OBS035). According to the information received, these acts have been perpetrated by timber dealers in collusion with the authorities and are related to the exploitation of wood in the Department by timber enterprises and the related opposition to this that has been engendered within the affected communities.
According to the information received, theses acts have seriously intensified following the refusal by President Ricardo Maduro to listen to and take into account the demands and concerns raised by the organisers of the ‘Marcha por la Vida’, which took place from June 20 to June 26, 2003.
The ‘Marcha por la Vida’ reportedly started on 20 June 2003 in Juticalpa, Olancho Department, and was supported by 27 workers, students, farmers, human rights and church-based organisations. It protested against the uncontrolled deforestation, forest exploitation and illegal cutting down of trees that are taking place in the Olancho Department. Among other claims, the supporters of the march were asking for an unconditional stop to the commercial cutting down of trees in the Olancho Department; the launching of an independent evaluation on the actual status of natural resources in the Olancho Department; and the establishment of an independent Commission to supervise and monitor the suspension of commercial cutting down of trees and to facilitate the evaluation of the situation.
According to the information received, the commercial cutting down of trees in the Olancho Department is carried out on a large scale and is having a serious impact on the affected communities, notably with respect to their access to natural resources and water reserves. It is reported that very often the Forest Administration (AFE-COHDEFOR) is delivering licences to timber enterprises to operate in the region without the adequate legal requisites.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities in Honduras urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the Olancho environment activists;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of the killing of Oscar Arturo Reyes, as well as the harassment, persecution and attempted killings of the Olancho environment activists in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. put a stop to the harassment and persecution of the Olancho environment activists;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country, including economic, social and cultural rights in accordance with international human rights standards.
Addresses
President of Honduras, Lic. Ricardo Maduro, Presidente de la República de Honduras, Casa Presidencial, Boulevard Juan Pablo Segundo, Palacio José Cecilio del Valle, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Fax: +504 2214552
Minister of Security, Dr. Oscar Alvarez, Ministerio de Seguridad Pública, Edificio Poujol, 4o piso Col. Palmira (Blvd. Morazán) Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Fax: +504 220 4352
Attorney General, Dr. Roy Edmundo Medina, Fiscalía General de la República, Colonia Loma del Guijaro, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Fax: +504 221 5666
Director of the National Police, Sra Coralia Rivera Ramos , Cuartel General de la Policía Preventiva, Barrio Casamata, Paseo el Picacho, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Tel/fax: +504 238 1323
National Commissioner for the Protection of Human Rights, Ramón Custodio López, Avda. La Paz No. 2444, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Fax: +504 235 35 32
Please also write to the embassies of Honduras in your respective country.
Geneva, July 23, 2003
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.