Honduras: Impunidad deja expuestos a los periodistas hondureños

This report, “Honduras: Equipo internacional de investigación entrega primer informe a la CIDH Impunidad deja expuestos a los periodistas hondureños” presents the findings and recommendations of the joint mission to Honduras in August 2010 conducted by IMS, Article 19 and AMARC.

The report was presented to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights at its 140th session in Washington DC on 25 October, 2010.

According to the findings of the report, the main root causes of impunity regarding attacks against freedom of expression in Honduras include:

• Investigations into killings of journalists have been botched and littered with mistakes and inconsistencies, in cases such as that of Nahum Palacios who was assassinated in March this year.
• Cases of journalists at risk have not been addressed, in cases such as those involving “precautionary measures” granted by the IACHR for Nahum Palacios.
• Cases of community radio stations (Radio Progreso, Radio Coco Dulce and Radio Zacate Grande) that have been denied access to justice and where the state has failed to implement “precautionary measures”, which were assigned to these stations by the IACHR.
• The existing legal framework in telecommunications and broadcasting stands in direct contravention of the minimum standards for freedom of expression and represents a disadvantage for social and community media increasing their vulnerability to attacks and harassment.