AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

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AAAS Human Rights Action Network

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FACTS OF THE CASE:

In the past few days, the National Commissioner for Human Rights in Honduras, Dr Leo Valladares Lanza, and the Deputy Commissioner, Sonia Marlina Dubon, have received anonymous telephone death threats. It is believed that these threats are linked to the Commission's involvement in investigating corruption in Honduras.

On 21 January 2002, Dr Valladares published a report on the right to information and freedom of expression in Honduras. The report details how government officials and economic interests in the country exert a large amount of control over journalists and the media. Dr. Valladares also recently participated in a national effort to end what the U.S. State Department calls a "subculture of corruption" in the Honduran judicial system. Dr. Valladares served on a national Nominating Board that drew up a short list of 45 qualified candidates to serve on the Supreme Court. The National Congress was to vote on the list and select the final 15 justices to serve seven-year terms. Sonia Marlina Dubon was one of the short listed candidates for appointment to the Supreme Court.

It appears that the reform process has broken down. On 22 January 2002, an applicant who did not make the final short list appealed to the current Supreme Court. Within hours, the court ruled in favor of the rejected applicant, nullified the short list, and dissolved the Nominating Board. Civil society groups in Honduras are dismayed at the Supreme Court's decision, as it appears to confirm the widespread existence of corruption in the judicial system.

This is not the first time that Dr. Valladares has been targeted for exposing human rights abuses in Honduras. In April 2001, the Commission released a report alleging political interference and corruption within the judiciary. In response to the criticism in the report, the Supreme Court charged Dr. Valladares with engaging in "corruption, extortion, and blackmail." The charges, which were baseless, were subsequently dropped. After the widespread devastation of Hurricane Mitch in 1998, Dr. Valladares accused the government of corruption in the management of foreign aid to survivors, hundreds of thousands of whom were left homeless. The government sought to limit his powers and reduce his period in office, but an international outcry on Dr. Valladares behalf forced the government to back down.

The AAAS Science and Human Rights Program has worked closely with Dr. Valladares and the National Human Rights Commission on several human rights projects in Honduras. Program staff, working with Dr. Valladares and the Commission, developed a computerized system to record, classify, and process complaints of human rights violations. Those in the program who have met Dr. Valladares describe him as a compassionate man committed to the defense of human rights in Honduras.

(Sources of information for this case include: Amnesty International, the U.S. State Department, and Human Rights Watch.)

RELEVANT HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

• Article 19(1): Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

• Article 12: (1): The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. (2): The steps to be taken by the States Parties to the present Covenant to achieve the full realization of this right shall include those necessary for: (c) The prevention, treatment and control of epidemic, endemic, occupational and other diseases; (d) The creation of conditions which would assure to all medical service and medical attention in the event of sickness.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• Article 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send faxes, letters, or emails:

• Expressing serious concern about reports that Dr. Leo Valladares, National Commissioner for Human Rights, and Deputy Commissioner Sonia Marlina Dubon have received death threats;
• Requesting an immediate, impartial and thorough investigation into these threats and for those responsible to be brought to justice; and
• calling on the government to take immediate and effective measures to ensure their protection so that they can carry out their activities without fear for their safety.

APPEAL AND INQUIRY MESSAGES SHOULD BE SENT TO:

S.E. Ricardo Maduro
Presidente de la Republica de Honduras
Casa Presidencial
Boulevard Juan Pablo Segundo
Palacio Jose Cecilio del Valle
Tegucigalpa, HONDURAS
Fax: 011 504 234 1484
Salutation: Dear President/Sr. Presidente

Dr. Roy Edmundo Medina
Fiscal General de la Republica
Fiscalia General, Ministerio Publico
Edificio Castillo Poujol, 4a Avda,
Colonia Palmira, Boulevard Morazan
Tegucigalpa, HONDURAS
Fax: 011 504 221 5667
Salutation: Attorney General/Sr. Fiscal General

COPIES SENT TO:

Dr. Leo Valladares Lanza
Commissioner
Oficina del Comisionado Nacional de Proteccion de los Derechos Humanos (CONADEH)
Avda. La Paz No. 2444
Contiguo a Galerias La Paz
Tegucigalpa, HONDURAS
Fax: 011 504 221 0536
Salutation: Dear Dr. Valladares

Dr. Hugo Noe Pino
Ambassador of Honduras to the United States
Embassy of Honduras
3007 Tilden St. NW, Suite 4-M
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 1 202 966 9751
embassy@hondurasemb.org
Salutation: Dear Mr. Ambassador/Sr. Embajador

Please send copies of your appeals, and any responses you may receive, or direct any questions you may have to Victoria Baxter, AAAS Science and Human Rights Program, 1200 New York Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20005; tel. 202-326-6797; email vbaxter@aaas.org; or fax 202-289-4950.

The keys to effective appeals are to be courteous and respectful, accurate and precise, impartial in approach, and as specific as possible regarding the alleged violation and the international human rights standards and instruments that apply to the situation. Reference to your scientific organization and professional affiliation is always helpful.

To ensure that appeals are current and credible, please do not continue to write appeals on this case after 90 days from the date of the posting unless an update has been issued.

To verify the contents of this alert and/or the electronic signature, please download the signed file for this alert along with the Program's PGP Public Key.

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