IACHR Hearings on Honduras

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) will hold hearings this afternoon on two petitions brought by Honduran and international NGOs against the government of Honduras.

The first hearing, on the implementation by Honduras of precautionary protective measures, was brought by the Comté Familiares de Detenidos, Desaparecidos de Honduras (COFADEH), the Equipo Reflexión Investigación y Comunicación de la Compañia de Jesús (ERIC), the Centro de Investigación y Promoción de Derechos Humanos (CIPRODEH), and the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL).

The protective measures in question were ordered by the IACHR for persons whose life was considered endangered after the coup in 2009. The petitioners allege that the government of Honduras was incapable of training the police in the importance of following these protection measures.

Approximately 600 people in Honduras have these protection measures for having protested against the coup. In its last visit to Honduras, the IACHR concluded that the government's efforts to carry out these protective orders were few, late, deficient, and in some cases, nonexistent.

This hearing will be broadcast live on the internet from approximately 3:15 - 4:15 pm EDT today. You can find the Council's schedule and agendas here, along with links for the internet streaming broadcasts in English and Spanish.

The second hearing, on the right to freedom of expression is scheduled for 4:30-5:30 pm EDT. This petition was brought by the Programa de Legislaciones y Derecho de la Comunicación (AMARC-ALC), the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), and Article 19, International Media Support (IMS).

The petitioners allege that the government of Honduras failed to carry out the orders of the IACHR with respect to protecting journalists and suggest some mechanisms for protecting the journalists in Honduras.

You can locate the links for the broadcasts of this session in English or Spanish along with the Commission's Agenda here.