Open letter to the European Union and its Member States on the worrying human rights situation in Honduras during the post-electoral period.

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6 of February 2018

Europeannetworks and international human rights organizations express their deepconcern over the disproportionate and sometimes fatal use of force employed bysecurity forces of the state against protesters, as well as other attacks onhuman rights defenders in the context of the post-election crisis in Honduras.We call on the European Union to condemn these incidents, to publicly supportthe defenders, and to request the Honduran State ensure that internationalhuman rights obligations are fully respected.

On November 26, 2017, general elections were heldin Honduras. Four weeks later, on December 18, Juan Orlando Hernández (NationalParty of Honduras) was declared president by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal(TSE). During the electoral process, the EU Election Observation Mission(EOM-EU) and the Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of AmericanStates (EOM-OAS) observed irregularities during the process, which led theSecretary General of the OAS to call for a repeat of the general elections[1].

Since November 27, numerous protest have takenplace across the country to demand a transparent electoral process and credibleresults. As a response, on December 1, 2017, the government of Hondurasdeclared itself in a state of emergency and decreed a temporary suspension ofconstitutional guarantees. Since then, human rights organizations haveregistered 30 killings -21 at the hands of the Military Police of Public Order(PMOP), about 232 people injured and 1085 detained[2].Up until January 4, 2018 24 violent deaths have been recorded by the Directorof Forensic Medicine of the Public Prosecutor's Office. To date, human rightsorganizations do not know if the Public Prosecutor's Office has launched theappropriate investigations for these cases.

On its behalf, the Office of the United NationsHigh Commissioner in Honduras has documented more than 50 cases of intimidationand harassment against human rights defenders, social leaders and journalists.This has led to a joint appeal from the Inter-American Commission on HumanRights (IACHR) and the Office of the High Commissioner[3],requesting that the State of Honduras guarantee the right to peacefuldemonstration, as well as all fundamental rights. This appeal has also beenrequested by several international civil society organizations[4].

In light of the ongoing tensions that have occurredsince the general elections and its impact on human rights, the governmentannounced the creation of a Human Rights Secretariat as an entity that isseparate from the current Secretariat for Human Rights, Justice, Governance,and Decentralization of the government of the Republic of Honduras. The newagency begins operations on January 27, 2018.

Nonetheless, the disproportionate use of forceemployed by security units of the state, attacks against human rightsdefenders, the lack of adequate response from institutional structures, as wellas uncertainty over broad sectors due to the lack of application ofinternational standards in recent electoral processes (2009, 2013 and 2017),they are generating a lack of confidence among the population in respect to theprinciples of democracy and the rule of law, as well as in Honduraninstitutions.

In theframework of relations with Honduras and foreign policy on human rights, weurge the European Union to:

· Issue a public statement at the highestlevel that:

o Recognizes the work of human rightsdefenders and shows their concern for the events that occurred in thepost-electoral stage; 


o Calls on the Republic of Honduras toabstain from excessive use of force against the population as well as respectthe right of citizens to demonstrate and express themselves freely; 


o Requests the Republic of Honduras toinvestigate immediately and diligently all reported acts of violence, in orderto identify of the alleged perpetrators. 


· Urge the government of Honduras toinclude testimonies of the victims and human rights defenders in any dialogueinitiative aimed at resolving the crisis and discovering the truth of theevents that have taken place in the electoral context. 


· Request that the Republic of Hondurascollaborate with human rights observation missions led by international andregional human rights organizations. 


Additionally,in the framework of cooperation to strengthen the justice system (Eurojusticia)and the guidelines on defenders, we demand the Delegation of the European Unionin Honduras and the Embassies of European countries in the country: 


· To formally request information fromthe Ministers of Security and Defense on the current protocols that are beingapplied in the framework of the demonstrations, as well as request informationon the steps being taken to ensure investigations into these reported incidentsare prompt and effective in identifying those responsible and brought to trial.


· Adopt the necessary measures that makevisible EU support for the defenders, that contribute to a new public discoursethat recognizes their work and guarantees a safe environment for the exerciseof their function. 


· Promote a favorable space for the workof the defenders, among others: facilitate a meeting between the NationalProtection System and beneficiaries in order to ensure an effective,appropriate and urgent response in this context. 


· Continue to promote participatoryspaces for political dialogue and regular consultations with civil societyorganizations, including the exchange mechanism with civil society on humanrights issues, - the 'Enlace Group'. 


To theEuropean Parliament and the national parliaments of the European Union, werequest they monitor the human rights situation and, if deemed relevant, issue aparliamentary resolution on the situation of human rights, promoteopportunities for discussion with civil society organizations.

Signed

EU- LAT Network,Advocacy Network Europe-Latin America (former CIFCA and Grupo Sur)

PROTECTION INTERNATIONAL


FRONTLINE DEFENDERS


OMCT, WorldOrganization Against Torture

CIDSE, InternationalCooperation for Development and Solidarity

Contact :

· EU-LAT Network, Marta Ibero, SeniorPolicy Officer, marta.ibero@cifcaeu.org; +325361912


· Frontline Defenders, Emma Achilli, Headof EU Office, emma@frontlinedefenders.org, +322 230 93 83

· Protection International, TatianaVillacieros, Programme Coordinator for Latin tvillacieros@protectioninternational.org,+32 2 609 44 05


· OMCT, Miguel Martín, Head of EU Office,omct@omct.org, (+32) 2 218 37 19 / (+41) 22 80949 39


· CIDSE, Stefan Reinhold - CorporateRegulation and Extractives Officer –reinhold@cidse.org +32 (0) 22.82.40.71

[1] Statementby the OAS General Secretariat on the Elections in Honduras. December 17, 2017.Available in: http://www.oas.org/en/media_center/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-092/17

[2] Alert:International concern regarding the serious increase of attacks against human rightsdefenders in Honduras' post-electoral context, January 22, 2018. http://www.pbi-honduras.org/fileadmin/user_files/projects/honduras/files/Alertas/180122HOP_Alerts_8_DefendersSituationPost-Electoral_01.pdf

[3] IACHRand OHCHR Express Concern over Post-Election Violence in Honduras, January 19,2018 : http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/media_center/PReleases/2018/007.asp

[4] Seeletter from CEJIL and others, 25/01/18,https://www.cejil.org/es/estado-hondureno-continua-violacion-derechos-humanos-denuncian-organizaciones-internacionales