Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Please stand in solidarity with those struggling for their rights in Honduras

URGENT ACTION: Honduran Journalist in Danger – Contact the U.S. embassy in Honduras NOW to demand immediate protection and to condemn the repression against journalists in Honduras.

Since the coup d’état in 2009 human rights violations have been rampant. Journalists are among those groups who have suffered severe repression. According to the Committee of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared of Honduras (COFADEH) since 2009, 18 journalists have been murdered, 25 have received death threats, 14 have suffered illegal detentions, 4 have been kidnapped and tortured and 37 other attacks and aggressions on journalists have been recorded.

As the repression worsens and impunity continues the United States supports militarization providing training and arms to the Honduran military and police. Since the coup d’état, the United States has given over $16.5 million in arms and training to the police and military and plans to give over $8 million more this year. U.S. backed militarization has not quelled the grave human rights situation for journalists or for anyone else.

Gilda Carolina Silvestrucchi is an independent journalist and Director of the radio program “In the Plaza.” She and her children have been the victims of numerous acts of intimidation and death threats throughout January, the most recent of which happened on January 23rd after holding an interview on her radio program on issues relating to the pending Honduran Mining law.

COFADEH has called for immediate action in this case. Please stand in solidarity with those struggling for their rights in Honduras. Contact the U.S. Honduran Embassy and the U.S. State Department and demand an end to impunity and an end to the repression of journalists. Demand protection for Gilda and her children.

Click to send a letter to the human rights official in the U.S. Embassy in Honduras, Nathan Anderson.

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