On December 3, PBI-Honduras tweeted: “Dina Meza from @asopodehu and Donny Reyes from @arcoirisghn met with @NLinCostaRica [Embassy of the Netherlands in Costa Rica for Central America] to talk about the National Protection Mechanism.”
PBI-Honduras adds: “We recall the importance of a proper functioning of the mechanism for the safety of #DDHH [human rights] defenders and journalists.”
Three weeks ago, PBI-Honduras also posted: “PBI accompanied social, peasant and indigenous organizations in filing complaints with the Public Ministry regarding the negligence and ineffectiveness of the National Protection Mechanism of the Honduran Human Rights Secretariat.”
“Specifically, they denounce an intervention strategy that includes the principles of voluntariness and secrecy of the processes.”
Conexihon has reported:
“Upon arriving at the facilities of the Public Ministry (MP), the organizations held a press conference and denounced what they described as the ‘implementation of an intervention strategy by the National Mechanism to the groups of beneficiaries and beneficiaries, which includes the violation of the principles of voluntariness and secrecy of our processes…’”
It adds: “[This violation] has placed us in a greater situation of risk and vulnerability since the information of our measures has been shared with the different actors that promote and execute the aggressions’.”
And Radio America has reported:
“The lawyer Víctor Fernández said that seven organizations are the complainants, this for the crimes of abuse of authority, crimes of violations of constitutional guarantees and violation of the duties of officials.
The officials who would be under a complaint is the current director of the National Protection System and another employee who has implemented operations that would put people under protection at risk, he said.
He explained that these officials would be developing a policy of intervention to the organizations, and this would put many defenders at risk, because they have tried to address the problem and situations without consultation, just as extractivist companies do, he criticized.
“We have met with the Human Rights Secretariat to remove these officials,” he revealed.
He regretted that many of the beneficiaries of the protection mechanism have not only been threatened, but also killed.”
The statement from the seven organizations, including PBI-Honduras accompanied COPINH, making this complaint, can be read here.
Please, consider donating to PBI-USA. You can make a safe donation here.
Make a Difference, help protect human rights defenders!
Support our 40th Year Anniversary Campaign by making a donation
2021 is Peace Brigades International’s 40th Year Anniversary!
Whether human rights defenders fight for social equality, justice, or environmental and indigenous rights, we must protect their vision of the future. For 40 years, PBI has provided protection so defenders can continue their work. With your support, we can ensure that PBI-USA can continue to make space for peace.
Please consider donating to our campaign.
Make checks payable:
Peace Brigades International-USA
P.O. Box 75880
Washington, DC 20013
www.pbiusa.org
Don’t forget to connect with us on social media for the latest updates and human rights news.
|
