Washington DC, March 30, 2011 - The Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expresses its concern over a series who have suffered assaults journalists Honduras during the month of March this year. The Special Rapporteur urges the Government of Honduras to investigate these events and guarantee the life and integrity of those threatened and assaulted.
According to information received, on March 25, police had fired tear gas against the reporter of Channel 36-Cholusat, Richard Casulá, and cameraman Salvador Sandoval, while covering the police response to a demonstration of teachers in Tegucigalpa. Sandoval was shot in the face and Casulá was intoxicated by inhaling gas. March 22, police have also attacked the journalist Lidieth Diaz, cameraman Rodolfo Sierra, 36-Cholusat Channel, and the director of Radio Globo, David Romero, while talking with a group of teachers. In another incident, as reported, on March 21, police had fired tear gas and rubber bullets into the journalist Sandra Maribel Sanchez, director of Radio Gualcho, and Globo TV cameraman, Uriel Rodriguez, while covering an eviction teachers, in Tegucigalpa. These facts
joins the shooting against the director of community radio Voice of Zacate Grande, Franklin Melendez, who was wounded in the leg on 13 March. Reportedly, two men claimed that day Melendez conflict coverage of land in the area and one of them shot him. In addition, reporters from the Voice of Big Grass have recently received serious death threats, so they have requested interim measures of protection.
The Special Rapporteur is concerned by these facts add up to serious assaults and murders of journalists in this country in 2010 and recalls that Principle 9 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression of the IACHR states that " The murder, kidnapping, intimidation, threats to social communicators, as well as the destruction of the media violate the fundamental rights of people and strongly restrict freedom of expression. It is the duty of States to prevent and investigate such occurrences, to punish their perpetrators and to ensure that victims receive compensation. "
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