In the framework of LGTBI+ Pride Month, the international organisations Front Line Defenders and Peace Brigades International (PBI) want to express their concern about the risks faced by human rights defenders of the LGTBI+ community in Honduras. Both organisations have observed a tendency towards an increase in attacks at times of greater visibility for the LGTBI+ community, such as LGTBI+ Pride Day. Therefore, Front Line Defenders and PBI call for national and international solidarity and support for the protection of those who defend the rights of sexual diversity.

PBI and other organisations want to express our greatest concerns over recent debates and proposals to freeze all activities of the European Parliament’s Human Rights Subcommittee (DROI) and to stop all urgency resolutions, in reaction to allegations of corruption known as “Qatargate”.

The organisations Front Line Defenders and Peace Brigades International (PBI) are deeply concerned about the continued increase in violence in the form of attacks, assassination attempts and acts of discrimination against LGBTI+ human rights defenders in Honduras. They are particularly concerned that the escalation of attacks will intensify in the coming weeks, in the context of the celebration of LGBTI+ Pride Day on 28 June 2022.

Peace Brigades International (PBI) in Honduras want to recognize and support the work of defenders of the land, territory and the environment and their essential role in a context marked by the humanitarian crisis generated by COVID-19 and the passage of hurricanes ETA and IOTA. The defence of forests, water sources, and access to land as a source of livelihood all contribute to the responsible governance of land distribution on a community level, the prevention of natural disasters like and the global fight against climate change. However, defenders of the territory constantly face attacks, processes of criminalization, prosecution and defamation, and violent evictions. Honduras is considered the most dangerous country in the world (per capita murder) for people who defend these rights, becoming more serious if the defender is a woman. We are especially concerned about the recently approved normative and legislative framework on agrarian matters and the effects that this will have on the defense of these rights, with special attention to women. Specifically, the approval of the Honduras Agricultural Development Program (PCM-052-2019) and the consequent militarization of the countryside; and PCM-030-2020 and the concession of idle and ejido lands to large agro-industrial companies.

From PBI Honduras we show our concern about the continuous increase in attacks against members of the LGTBIQ+ community, especially trans women. Likewise, we want to draw attention to its historical situation of vulnerability increased during the COVID19 health emergency and in which the LGTBIQ+ group has not been considered as a priority by the Government to receive government aid. A vulnerability that is reflected, among other human rights violations, in the transfeminicide of the defense of human rights and member of the Rainbow LGBT Association Scarlet Cambel.
 

PBI Honduras is extremely concerned over the high number of attacks against trans women and individuals who defend trans rights, as well as the impunity that has continued in these cases. We are particularly concerned by the security situation of the members of the Muñecas Trans Women’s Collective of Arcoiris LGBT Association, which has experienced an increase in attacks and assaults over the last six months.

 

PBI Honduras express a deep concern over the alarming increase in attacks experienced by LGBTQI+ human rights defenders living in Honduras, especially by those who defend the rights of trans women and of the trans community in general. Concretely, we are deeply concerned about the situation of the members of the “Muñecas” Trans Women’s Group of Asociación Arcoiris, which PBI has accompanied since 2015, and which works to defend and promote the rights of the trans community.

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The EU-LAT network and CIDSE together made up of more than 57 European and internataional organizations, echoing the requests of COPINH and backed by representatives of the European Parliament, demand justice, remembrance and the guarantee of non-repetition for Berta Cáceres, as well as for the defense of human rights in Honduras and throughout Latin America.

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The aim of this Alert is to draw the international community’s attention to the exponential increase in security incidents reported by human rights defenders since the Honduran presidential elections held on November 26th. Furthermore, PBI Honduras reiterates concerns expressed by the international community regarding actions taken by Honduras’ highly militarised state security forces and the number of victims reported since the election.

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Peace Brigades International (PBI) is observing with serious concern the situation in Honduras in the days following the general elections that took place on November 26th, 2017. Since then, both national and international civil society organizations have expressed their concern surrounding the tense climate generated due to the lack of definitive presidential results.

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The objective of this Alert is to call the attention of the international community to the security situation of the human rights defenders Hedme Castro, Tommy Morales, Carlos del Cid, and Ariel Díaz, who were victims of intimidation, excessive use of force, and legal prosecution by state security forces as part of the eviction carried out this past September 8 th in the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH).

The undersigned civil society organizations (CSOs) from around the world call on the Dutch development bank, FMO, to adopt measures in its Sustainability Policy to prevent and address reprisals against human rights defenders (HRDs) related to the activities it finances.

After the 2009 coup in Honduras, Magistrate Tirza Flores and Judges Guillermo López Lone, Luis Alonso Chévez and Ramón Barrios, all members of the Association of Judges for Democracy (AJD), were dismissed arbitrarily. The case went to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR), which issued a sentence and recognized the active role that the Supreme Court of Honduras played in the coup. This document aims to draw the attention of the international community to the lack of progress in complying with the judgment, which expires on November 10, 2016, one year after being notified.

PBI wishes to express its concern regarding the events that took place during the peaceful demonstration of October 20 in Tegucigalpa, in which the violent repression that COPINH and other civil society organizations suffer when exercising their legitimate right to protest was made evident.

The purpose of this Alert is to draw the attention of the international community to the security situation of the members of the Arcoiris Association, an LGBT organization accompanied by Peace Brigades International (PBI) since July 2015. PBI expresses its deep concern over the increase of security incidents reported by the organization.

The purpose of this Alert is to draw the international community’s attention to the security situation of freelance journalist Dina Meza, accompanied by Peace Brigades International - PBI since May 2014. PBI is concerned about the increase in security incidents reported over the past month because of Meza’s work as a journalist and human rights defender.

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The undersigned organizations, express our deep concern about the serious incidents that occurred on Friday, April 15 in the town of San Francisco de Ojuera - Department of Santa Bárbara where a dozen people were injured.

PBI has observed patterns of attack in this case that are replicated in other regions of the country which have led to severe conflicts over land. In light of this situation, PBI considers that preventive actions should be taken and early warnings should be emitted, aimed at guaranteeing the respect, promotion and implementation of international human rights law.