Gang members sentenced to 35 years for critical journalist’s murder; human rights defender questions failure to investigate motives
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – On 12 May 2008, a San Salvador court convicted three youths – José Alfredo Hernández, José Luis Martínez Mejía and Héctor Adalberto Ortiz Mejía, all of whom are members of criminal street gangs – of aggravated homicide in the killing of journalist Salvador Sánchez Roque in September 2007. The investigation and trial failed […]
Telemaya journalist, camera operator receive death threats in La Entrada
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – In the early hours of 18 April 2008, three masked and armed men entered the premises in La Entrada of Telemaya television station, tied and gagged a machine operator and a visitor, and left a death threat against journalist Carlos Chinchilla and his camera operator. La Entrada is located in Copán, a department […]
Government security agent and security company employee captured, charged with 2006 murder of human rights lawyer
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – Honduran authorities have apprehended two suspects in the December 2006 murder of human rights lawyer Dionisio Díaz García, who worked for the Tegucigalpa-based Association for a More Just Society (Asociación por una Sociedad Más Justa, ASJ). The suspects, accused by the Public Ministry (Ministerio Público) of shooting Díaz García to death, are César […]
Death threats against radio station owner; media ownership too concentrated, warns PROBIDAD
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – In a 17 January 2008 press release, spokespeople for radio station Radio Cadena Mi Gente condemned death threats made against one of the station’s main stockholders, William Osmar Chamagua Morataya. The threats were made by telephone, twice to the station and once to his family’s home. The last call was received on 16 […]
Radio station owner shot dead in Santa Bárbara
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – The year 2008 began tragically in Honduras, with the murder of 41-year-old José Fernando Gonzáles, the owner of the radio station Radio Mega, on 1 January. Two individuals entered the station, pretending to be clients of the station, and as soon as Gonzáles appeared to attend to them, they shot him repeatedly, killing […]
Presidential security guards manhandle and briefly detain journalist
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – Journalist Jorge Loáisiga, who works for “La Prensa” newspaper was mistreated by presidential security guards on the night of 19 December 2007. The incident occurred at a public ceremony in Managua, the capital, attended by the president and several ambassadors. Loáisiga was trying to obtain comments from the United States ambassador when he […]
Journalist flees country for second time following new death threats
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – On 23 November 2007, Geovanny García, a television journalist with Canal 13, fled the country out of concern for his safety for the second time in recent weeks. García’s first departure was in October, at which time he left for Canada with his wife. He did so following an assassination attempt that left […]
UN special rapporteur concerned about deterioration of freedom of expression
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – The following is an abridged version of a 3 December 2007 PROBIDAD press release: UN Special Rapporteur concerned about deterioration of freedom of expression in Honduras Tegucigalpa – At the end of his first official visit to Honduras, the United Nations’ (UN) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Ambeyi Ligabo, expressed “great concern” […]
Radio station director, television reporter flee country following death threats
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – Dagoberto Rodríguez, director of Radio Cadena Voces (RCV) radio station, fled the country with his family on 1 November 2007 after being informed by police that a death squad intended to kill him within 72 hours. PROBIDAD and Rodríguez believe that the alleged murder plot is related to his work, given that no […]
Journalists assaulted by police and demonstrators during clashes in Santa Ana department
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – Three journalists have been assaulted during clashes between the police and local residents in the Santa Ana department. On 25 October 2007, local residents in the town of Santa Gertrudis, 50 kilometres from the capital, San Salvador, blocked the highway leading into the area to protest the construction of a garbage landfill site […]
President denounces existence of media oligopolies that limit freedom of expression
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – During the recent 63rd General Assembly of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Honduran President Manuel Zelaya denounced the existence of media oligopolies in this Central American country, oligopolies which, according to him, limit the rights of Hondurans to information and to freedom of expression. “The existence in Honduras of such oligopolies is […]
Suspect arrested in murder of journalist Salvador Sánchez Roque
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – On 11 October 2007, the National Civil Police announced the capture of José Alfredo Hernández, suspected murderer of radio journalist Salvador Sánchez Roque, who was killed on 20 September. According to the authorities, Hernández is a gang member. He, among others, previously issued death threats against the journalist, believing that the journalist had […]
Draft law to decriminalise defamation should apply to all citizens, not just journalists, says C-Libre
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – On 9 October 2007, Rodolfo Irías Navas, representative of the Partido Nacional party, presented a draft law to Congress, designed to protect journalists and media owners from criminal charges related to their work. The proposed law does not protect citizens at large from criminal prosecution for expressing their opinions, noted legal experts who […]
Defamation lawsuit against television station owner-manager re-opened
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – A lawsuit for defamation and insult, dating from 2005, against Esdras Amado López, the owner-manager of the television station Canal 36, has been reactivated by the annulment of a ruling that had been made in November 2006 that the suit could not be heard. Following the 2006 dismissal of charges against Amado López, […]