Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) Condemns Murder of Pedro Ezequiel in Honduras

[magbana]

IACHR: Condemns the murder of Pedro Ezequiel in Honduras
Posted by: "A Beltran" [e-mail] [e-mail]
Mon Jul 27, 2009 2:20 pm (PDT)


PRESS RELEASE

N° 51/09

IACHR CONDEMNS MURDER IN HONDURAS

Washington, D.C., July 27, 2009 — The Inter-American Commission on
Human Rights (IACHR) condemns the murder of Pedro Ezequiel in
Honduras (also identified as Pedro Mondiel Martínez), and calls on
the de facto regime to guarantee the life and physical integrity of
all the country’s residents.

According to information received from civil society organizations
and published in the media, Pedro Ezequiel or Pedro Mondiel Martínez
was allegedly arrested by the police on Friday, July 24, when he was
on his way to the town of El Paraíso, Honduras, located near the
border with Nicaragua, to participate in demonstrations supporting
the return of President Manuel Zelaya Rosales. The information
received indicates that the body of Pedro Ezequiel or Pedro Mondiel
Martínez was purportedly found on Saturday, July 25, in a deserted
area, and that witnesses indicated they had seen signs of torture.

The IACHR demands that this murder be investigated and those
responsible punished. The IACHR also calls on the de facto regime to
adopt all measures necessary to guarantee the life, physical
integrity, and safety of all residents of Honduras.

On another matter, the IACHR reiterates its deep concern over the
repeated use of various states of emergency in Honduras, which have
been used to suspend fundamental rights such as the right of personal
liberty, allowing for someone to be detained and held in isolation
for more than 24 hours; freedom of association and assembly; and the
right to move about freely, leave, enter, or remain in Honduran
territory.

The IACHR would like to reiterate that the suspension of rights is
warranted only under exceptional circumstances established
specifically by the American Convention on Human Rights. At no time
may the suspension of personal liberty entail a limitation of habeas
corpus, or other suitable and effective remedies for judicial review
of detentions, or of the essential judicial guarantees necessary to
protect life and physical integrity.

A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States
(OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the
American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission
has the mandate to promote respect for human rights in the region and
acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this matter. The Commission
is composed of seven independent members who act in a personal
capacity, without representing a particular country, and who are
elected by the OAS General Assembly.

Useful links:
* Precautionary Measures Granted by the IACHR in 2009
* Letter sent by the de facto authorities in Honduras to the IACHR in response to PM 196-09
* Press Release No. 43/09: IACHR Strongly Condemns Coup d´état in Honduras
* Press Release No. R 44/09: Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression Condemns Limitations to Freedom of Expression in Honduras
* Press Release No. 45/09: IACHR Requests to Visit Honduras, Grants Precautionary Measures and Asks for Information
* Press Release No. 47/09: IACHR Expresses Concern Over the Suspension of Guarantees in Honduras and Amplifies Precautionary Measures
* Press Release No. R 48/09: Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression Condemns Murder of Journalist in Honduras
* Press Release No. 49/09 - IACHR Maintains Its Competence in Honduras Following Suspension.
* Press Release No. R 50/09 - Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression Condemns Detention of Foreign Journalists in Honduras.
* American Convention on Human Rights
* IACHR Press Office
* IACHR Web site

Read this press release in Spanish / Lea este comunicado de prensa en español

Press contact: María Isabel Rivero
Tel. [phone]
Cell: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Get your preferred Email name!
Now you can @ymail.com and @rocketmail.com.
http://mail.promotions.yahoo.com/newdomains/aa/

[Judi Lynn]

1. Hope they can do more than this, too. Thanks. n/t