Honduran human rights defender at risk: Itsmania Pineda Platero

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/

UA: 22/12 Index: AMR 37/001/2012 Honduras Date: 24 January 2012 Date: 14 January 2011

URGENT ACTION

HONDURAN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER AT RISK

A Honduran human rights defender and blogger , based in the capital, Tegucigalpa, has received death threats by phone and text message . Her life could be at risk.

Itsmania Pineda Platero is the director of the Asociación Xibalba, an activist organization working on issues of public security and youth rehabilitation in Honduras. She also has a personal blog where she writes about issues such as freedom of expression, organized crime and youth . On 6 January at 6pm, Itsmania Pineda Platero received a phone call from an unknown man who told her “We will kill you bitch” (Perra te vamos a matar). At 10pm on the same night, Itsmania Pineda Platero received another phone call from the same number, though nobody spoke to her directly, she heard men's voices and a noise which sounded like a firearm trigger being clicked.

Two days later, on 8 January at 12.27pm, she was threatened by text message. The message read “[…] Don’t play with fire because not even your bodyguards will save you, […] be careful” (“[…] No juegues con fuego que ní tu guardaespaldas t e van a salvar, […] , cuidate”). On 9 January, at 8.26am, Itsmania Pineda Platero received another threatening text message saying ”Any moment now we’re going to toss you into “El Crematorio” [the rubbish dump], we are going to be your nightmare” (“En cualquier momento te vamos a ir a botar al crematorio, vamos a ser tu pesadilla”). The human rights defender explained to Amnesty International that this message referred to a well known rubbish dump called El Crematorio in Tegucigalpa, where corpses have been found in the past.

Itsmania Pineda Platero does not have any bodyguards, and should be provided with any protection by the authorities. Her life could be at risk.

Please write immediately in Spanish or your own language:

Calling for an independent, thorough and impartial investigation into the threats against Itsmania Pineda Platero, with the results made public and those responsible brought to justice;

Urging the authorities to take immediate steps to provide appropriate protection to Itsmania Pineda Platero, in accordance with her wishes;

Reminding the authorities that human rights defenders have a right to carry out their activities without any unfair restrictions or fear of reprisals, as set out in the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.



P LEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 6 MARCH 2012 TO :



Attorney General

Sr. Luis Alberto Rubí

Fiscal General de la República

Lomas del Guijarro, Avenida República Dominicana, Edificio Lomas Plaza II

Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Fax: +504 2221 5667

Salutation: Sr. Fiscal General/ Dear Attorney General

Minister for Justice and Human Rights

Ana Pineda

Ministra de Justicia y Derechos Humanos

Col. Lomas del Mayab,

Ave. República de Costa Rica,

Entre BAC-BAMER y BANHCAFE

Tegucigalpa MDC, Honduras

Fax: +504 2235 8379

Email: info@sjdh.gob.hn

Salutation: Estimada Sra. Ministra/ Dear Minister


And copies to:

NGO

C-LIBRE

Colonia Palmira, Primera Calle, contiguo al Centro Cultural de España, 25 mts al norte del Redondel de los Artesanos, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, C.A.

Email: alertas@clibrehonduras.com


Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:

Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

URGENT ACTION

HONDURAN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER AT RISK


ADditional Information

Human rights defenders and journalists are frequently threatened, harassed and physically attacked as they carried out their work in Honduras. Amnesty International is concerned about the environment faced by activists in Honduras. Human rights defenders – particularly those researching organized criminal activity, human rights violations and those speaking out about the coup d’etat – are frequently physically attacked and subjected to threats and intimidation,

Attacks and threats against them are rarely investigated thoroughly, and there is virtually no protection for those who come forward to report such crimes.

On 5 December 2011, two members of the human rights organisation CODEH were threatened by an unknown man in central Tegucigalpa, Honduras. (See UA: 360/11 Index: AMR 37/008/2011).In June 2011, LGBT activist and human rights defender Alex David Sánchez Álvarez was threatened at gunpoint for the third time in the year (See Further information on UA: 12/11 Index: AMR 37/005/2011).



Name: Itsmania Pineda Platero

Gender m/f: f


UA: 22/12 Index: AMR 37/001/2012 Issue Date: 24 January 2012

View the overview page for this document

No hay tregua en el terror contra el colectivo “Periodistas por la Vida”;asesinan a un portavoz comunitario en la región de Aguán

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Reporteros sin Fronteras
Comunicado de prensa
24 de enero de 2012



Honduras

No hay tregua en el terror contra el colectivo “Periodistas por la Vida”;asesinan a un portavoz comunitario en la región de Aguán


Al inicio del mes Itsmania Pineda Platero fue amenazada a muerte (http://es.rsf.org/honduras-agreden-a-mujeres-periodistas-que-14-12-2011,41549.html).Ahora le toca a Gilda Silvestrucci,otra representante del colectivo “Periodistas por la Vida y la Libertad deExpresión”, quien recientemente fue víctima de amenazas telefónicas.



Las dos mujeres encabezaron, junto con otroscolegas, una manifestación contra los ataques a la libertad de expresión ycontra la impunidad; protesta que fue reprimida de manera violenta en lasinmediaciones de la Casa de Gobierno el 13 de diciembre de 2011. Ocho díasdespués Gilda Silvestrucci, así como otras catorce mujeres del colectivo,presentaron una denuncia contra el presidente Porfirio Lobo Sosa, así comocontra los generales René Osorio Canales, jefe del Estado Mayor Conjunto de laFuerzas Armadas, y Andrés Felipe Díaz, jefe de la Guardia de HonorPresidencial. Desde entonces, la periodista es vigilada de maneraconstante.



“Reporteros sin Fronteras está en contacto con elcolectivo y planea establecer un sistema de alerta permanente al servicio desus representantes amenazadas, a quienes pedimos hacernos llegar todo elemento,grabación o testimonio que pudiera sustentar el expediente de la demandapresentada el 21 de diciembre. Reiteramos que consideramos las autoridades comoresponsables de la vida de estas periodistas y de la de sus allegados”, declaróla organización.



“Ya sabemos que tenés tres hijos, que la mayortiene 15 años, que ahorita andás en la calle con tu hijo de siete años, y quela mayor está en tu casa, cuidando a la niña de un año, y te vamos amatar". Con esas palabras un mensajero anónimo amenazó a la periodista, através de su teléfono móvil, la mañana del 23 de enero de 2012. Tres días antesla madre de Gilda Silvestrucci había recibido la llamada de un individuo quequería conocer los horarios de su hija, sus idas y venidas, los lugaresfrecuentados por ella, así como el número de su teléfono móvil.



Gilda Silvestrucci es editora del diario en línea El Patriota (http://www.elpatriotahn.com/)y directora del programa “En la plaza” de RadioGlobo, transmitido por la mañana de lunes a viernes. La periodista acababade terminar su programa –dedicado al muy polémico proyecto de ley deexplotación minera, a punto de ser aprobado por el Congreso–, cuando recibióvía telefónica una amenaza demuerte contra ella y sus hijos. Cabe recordar que los dos medios de comunicacióna los que Gilda Silvestrucci pertenecehabían manifestado desde el principio, su oposición al golpe de Estado del 28de junio de 2009, cuya lógica represiva nunca ha cesado.



Masacres a puerta cerrada

En Hondurashan sido asesinados 24 periodistas en una década, 17 de ellos desde el golpe deEstado (http://es.rsf.org/honduras-asesinan-a-un-periodista-atacan-a-08-12-2011,41530.html).No se ha registrado ningún avance serio en el esclarecimiento de estoscrímenes. La impunidad persiste también en los casos de asesinatos decolaboradores de los medios de comunicación, de ciudadanos defensores de unainformación plural y de defensores de los derechos humanos.



Tres días después del asesinato del abogado RicardoRosales (http://es.rsf.org/paraguay-asesinan-a-un-abogado-que-denuncio-19-01-2012,41711.html),ocurrido después de que éste denunciara ante la prensa abusos cometidos por lapolicía, Matías Valle, dirigente campesino comunitario de 55 años de edad,sucumbió sucumbió el 20 de enero en una parada de autobus del departamento deColon (norte), cuando fue alcanzado por balas que le dispararon dos desconocidosque circulaban en motocicleta. Matías Valle era un reconocido representante delMovimiento Unificado Campesino del Aguán (MUCA), región bajo control militardesde 2010, teatro de intensos conflictos agrarios entre terratenientes ycomunidades locales. La víctima denunciaba públicamente la constante –ymortífera– represión en contra de los campesinos. En teoría, gozaba de medidascautelares debido a los riesgos que corría, como recuerda el Comité por laLibre Expresión (C-Libre), organización colaboradora de Reporteros sinFronteras.



“Si estas medidas de protección hubieran sidoaplicadas en realidad, sin duda Matías Valle no se habría encontrado solo en laparada de autobús a merced de sus asesinos. Este caso agrava aún más la listade las masacres cometidas a puerta cerrada en el Aguán. Una situación tan graveamerita, como mínimo, que se envíe al lugar una comisión de investigacióninternacional con amplios poderes”, declaró Reporteros sin Fronteras, que rindehomenaje a Matías Valle y a su valor personal al servicio de una informacióndesesperadamente ignorada.
__________


Honduras



Women journalists terrorized, peasant spokesman gunned down in Aguán



Gilda Silvestrucci has become the latestmember of the “Journalists for Life and Free Expression” collective to getthreatening phone calls, following ItsmaniaPineda Platero, who received a series of threatening calls earlier thismonth (http://en.rsf.org/honduras-soldiers-use-clubs-to-disperse-14-12-2011,41548.html).



The two women,along with a number of other journalists, organized a march on 13 December thatwas violently dispersed outside the presidential palace in Tegucigalpa. Thepurpose of their march was to protest against free speech violations and impunityfor those responsible.



Silvestrucci hasbeen constantly followed ever since she and 14 other women members of thecollective filed a complaint against President Porfirio Lobo Sosa, armed forceschief of staff Gen. René Osorio Canales and presidential guard chief Gen.Andrés Felipe Díaz a week after the march.



“We are inconstant contact with this collective and we propose to set up a permanentalert system for its threatened representatives,” Reporters Without Borderssaid. “We urge them to share with us all the evidence, including recordings orstatements, that could support the complaint they filed on 21 December. Wereiterate that we hold the authorities directly responsible for the lives ofthese women journalists and those close to them.”



Silvestruccireceived a call on her mobile phone yesterday morning from an unidentifiedindividual who told her: “We know that you have three children, that the oldestis 15, that at this moment you are walking down the street with yourseven-year-old son and that the oldest is at home looking after theone-year-old baby, and we are going to kill you.”



Three daysearlier, Silvestrucci’s mother received a call from someone trying to findabout Silvestrucci’s timetable, her movements, the places she frequents and thenumber of her mobile phone.



Silvestrucciedits the online newspaper El Patriota(http://www.elpatriotahn.com/) andproduces “En la plaza,” a programme broadcast every weekday morning on Radio Globo. She had just finishedyesterday morning’s programme, about a controversial mining bill currentlybefore parliament, when she received the call threatening her and her children.



Both of the newsmedia she works for voiced their opposition to the June 2009 coup d’état fromthe outset. The coup started a crackdown that has never stopped.



Unnoticed mass killings

A total of 24journalists have been killed in Honduras in the past decade, 17 of them sincethe coup (http://en.rsf.org/honduras-journalist-killed-paper-attacked-08-12-2011,41532.html).The police and judicial authorities have had little success in investigatingany of these cases. Murders of citizens who provided information to the mediaor defended human rights and media pluralism also go unpunished.



The latest victimin this category is Matías Valle, 55, a peasant community leader who was gunneddown by two men on a motorcycle at a bus stop in the northern depart of Colónon 20 January, three days after the murder of Ricardo Rosales, a lawyer who had accused police in the northerntown of Tela of serious human rights violations (http://en.rsf.org/paraguay-lawyer-gunned-down-after-reporting-19-01-2012,41712.html).



Valle was aleading representative of the Aguán United Peasant Movement (MUCA), a groupbased in Aguán, a northern region racked by violent land disputes betweenagro-industrial companies and local peasant communities that has been undermilitary control since 2010.



He had repeatedlydenounced the constant and often deadly harassment of the region’s peasantinhabitants. The Committee for Free Expression (C-Libre), a Reporters WithoutBorders partner organization, said that, because of the risks he took intalking to the media, he should in principle have been a beneficiary of“protective measures”.



“If theseprotective measures had been properly implemented, Valle would not have beenwaiting alone at a bus stop and at the mercy of his killers,” Reporters WithoutBorders said. “His death must be added to the toll of the mass killings takingplace out of sight in Aguán. At the very least, an international commission ofenquiry with very broad powers should be dispatched to this region.”



Reporters WithoutBorders pays tribute to Valle and to his personal courage in providing badlyneeded information about what has been taking place in Aguán.

__________




Honduras



Terreur continue contre le collectif “Journalistes pour la vie”, un porte-parole communautaire abattu dans l’Aguán



Après Itsmania Pineda Platero, menacée de mort au début du mois (http://fr.rsf.org/honduras-une-protestation-pacifique-de-14-12-2011,41547.html),c’est au tour de Gilda Silvestrucci,autre représentante du collectif “Journalistes pour la vie et la libertéd’expression”, d’être victime d’avertissements téléphoniques.



Les deux femmes avaient été, avecd’autres collègues, à l’initiative d’une manifestation contre les atteintes àla liberté d’expression et l’impunité, violemment réprimée aux abords du palaisdu gouvernement, le 13 décembre 2011. Avec quatorze autres femmes du collectif,Gilda Silvestrucci avait déposé plainte huit jours plus tard contre leprésident Porfirio Lobo Sosa ainsi que les généraux René Osorio Canales etAndrés Felipe Díaz, respectivement chef d’État-major des armées et chef de lagarde d’honneur présidentielle. La journaliste fait, depuis, l’objet defilatures constantes.



“Reporters sans frontières est encontact avec le collectif et se propose de mettre en place un système d’alertepermanent au service de ses représentantes menacées. Nous invitons cesdernières à nous communiquer tout élément, enregistrement ou témoignagesusceptible d’alimenter le dossier de la plainte déposée le 21 décembre. Noustenons, une nouvelle fois, les autorités pour directement responsables de lavie de ces femmes journalistes et de leur entourage”, a déclarél’organisation.



“Nous savons que tu as troisenfants, que l’aînée a quinze ans, qu’en ce moment tu marches dans la rue avecton fils de sept ans, que l’aînée est chez toi pour s’occuper de la petite d’unan et nous allons te tuer”, a menacé un correspondant anonyme sur le portablede la journaliste dans la matinée du 23 janvier 2012. Trois jours plus tôt, lamère de Gilda Silvestrucci avait reçu l’appel d’un individu cherchant à connaîtreles horaires, allées et venues et lieux fréquentés par sa fille, ainsi que lenuméro de téléphone portable de celle-ci.



Editrice du journal en ligne El Patriota (http://www.elpatriotahn.com/), Gilda Silvestrucciest également directrice du programme “En la plaza” de Radio Globo, diffusé en matinée du lundi au vendredi. Lajournaliste venait de terminer son émission, consacrée au très polémique projetde loi sur l’extraction minière - en cours d’approbation au Congrès –lorsqu’elle a reçu l’avertissement téléphonique contre sa vie et celle de sesenfants. Les deux médias d’appartenance de Gilda Silvestrucci ont d’embléemanifesté leur opposition au coup d’État du 28 juin 2009, dont la logiquerépressive n’a jamais cessé.



Massacres à huis clos

Le Honduras compte 24 journalistestués en une décennie dont 17 depuis la période du coup d’État (http://fr.rsf.org/honduras-une-journaliste-assassinee-un-08-12-2011,41527.html)et aucun progrès sérieux n’a été enregistré dans chacune de ces affaires.L’impunité perdure également dans les assassinats de collaborateurs des médias,citoyens défenseurs d’une information plurielle et défenseurs des droits del’homme.



Trois jours après l’avocat RicardoRosales (http://fr.rsf.org/paraguay-un-avocat-assassine-apres-avoir-19-01-2012,41710.html),tué après avoir dénoncé à la presse des sévices commis par la police, ledirigeant paysan communautaire Matías Valle, 55 ans, est tombé sous les ballesde deux inconnus circulant à moto, le 20 janvier à un arrêt de bus dudépartement de Colón (Nord). Matías Valle était un représentant reconnu duMouvement unifié paysan de l’Aguán (MUCA), région sous contrôle militairedepuis 2010, où de violents conflits agraires opposent les agroindustriels auxcommunautés locales. La victime dénonçait publiquement la répression constante- et meurtrière - visant les paysans. Il bénéficiait en principe de mesures deprotection (“medidas cautelares”) compte tenu des risques, comme l’a rappelé leComité pour la libre expression (C-Libre), organisation partenaire de Reporterssans frontières.



“Si ces mesures de protectionavaient été réellement suivies, Matías Valle ne se serait sans doute pas trouvéseul à un arrêt de bus et à la merci de tueurs. Cette affaire vient encorealourdir la liste des massacres à huis clos commis dans l’Aguán. Une tellesituation appelle, au minimum, qu’une commission d’enquête internationaleinvestie des pouvoirs les plus larges, y soit dépêchée”, a déclaré Reporterssans frontières, qui rend hommage à Matías Valle et à son courage personnel auservice d’une information désespérément ignorée.



Benoît Hervieu
Despacho Américas / Americas desk
Reporters sans frontières
47 rue Vivienne 75002 Paris - France
+33 1 44 83 84 68 / ameriques@rsf.org
twitter : RSF_Americas
skype : rsf_americas

Honduras - "Journalism for life" demonstrator receives four death threats

in three days
10 Jan 2012 15:30

Source: Content partner // Reporters Without Borders



"We'll skin you alive, bitch!" With these words the independent journalists and human rights campaigner Itsmania Pineda Platero was threatened on 6 January, then again in three similar calls — once more on the same day, and on 8 and 9 January.

During one of the calls, there was the sound of a gun being loaded in the background.

Reporters Without Borders holds the Honduran authorities responsible for the safety of the journalist, who walked at the head of the "Journalism for life and free expression" march on 13 December (see photo) that was violently dispersed in front of the presidential palace in Tegucigalpa.

A week later, a complaint was filed about the violence used by soldiers and members of the presidential guard. Reporters Without Borders is waiting to hear what legal action will be taken as a result.

"Itsmania Pineda Platero was already at risk because of her prominent position as head of the Xibalba human rights organization," the press freedom organization said.

"She is exposed to even greater danger since the 13 December demonstration and none of the usual measures to protect her and her family have been carried out. This must be rectified without delay.

"Impunity has gone on too long. Seventeen journalists have been killed in Honduras since the coup in June 2009.

"Through Itsmania Pineda Platero, we consider all members of the 'Journalism for life and free expression' group to be under threat from now on. Once again, the authorities bear the responsibility."

22.12.11 - Fifteen women journalists file complaint against president, army chiefs

Reporters Without Borders supports the complaint against President Porfirio Lobo Sosa, armed forces chief of staff Gen. René Osorio Canales and presidential guard chief Gen. Andrés Felipe Díaz that 15 women journalists from the "Journalism for Life and Free Expression" collective filed yesterday before special prosecutor for human rights Sandra Ponce.

The complaint concerns the violence used by police and soldiers to disperse a march by around 50 journalists, human rights activists and civil society representatives on 13 December in Tegucigalpa as it passed in front of the presidential palace.

"We have three reasons for supporting this joint complaint, a copy of which we have received," Reporters Without Borders said. "Firstly, it is a legitimate response to serious abuse of authority against defenceless people. Secondly, it challenges the government's outrageous propaganda portraying the victims as attackers. Why was a demonstration by journalists able to go ahead in the same place four days earlier without any clashes?

"Lastly, aside from the specific events it addresses, this collective complaint asks the pertinent question why impunity persists in what is, after Mexico, now the deadliest country in the hemisphere for those who provide news and information, especially about the very alarming human rights situation. We add our voice to theirs to demand that justice finally be rendered in Honduras."

A total of 24 journalists have been killed in Honduras since 2003, 17 of them since the June 2009 coup d'état.

14.12.11 - Soldiers use clubs to disperse women journalists demonstrating outside presidential palace

Reporters Without Borders condemns the violence used by police and soldiers to disperse yesterday's demonstration by journalists - mostly women - outside the presidential palace in Tegucigalpa to demand justice for the 24 journalists killed since 2003, 17 of them since the June 2009 coup d'état. The latest journalist to be murdered, last week, was a woman.

"The Honduran government's only response to the dire human rights and civil liberties situation is repression," Reporters Without Borders said. "This attitude shows that it is completely responsible for this situation and that the persecution that began after the coup is continuing. The 'national reconciliation' bandied about since the Cartagena Accord is no more than empty words.

"The international community and the governments of Latin America must insist on tangible results in 2012 in the investigations into human rights violation and on full cooperation from the Honduran authorities with these investigations. Otherwise there will be a danger of chaos again in the run-up the major elections scheduled for 2013."

Yesterday's demonstration, which set off from the Francisco Morazán Teachers' Training University, was convened by the Journalists for Life and Free Expression Collective in response to the 6 December murder of radio host Luz Marina Paz Villalobos, first woman journalist to have been killed in Honduras.

The Honduran Committee for Free Expression (C-Libre), a Reporters Without Borders partner organization, said the protesters also condemned the censorship and systematic harassment to which alternative and community media, human rights activists and civil society representatives are exposed. Dogged by political violence since the 2009 coup, Honduras has one of the world's worse crime rates, with an average of 86 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants a year.

One of the participants in yesterday's protest told Reporters Without Borders: "We managed to move the security barrier a bit and thereby reach our goal. This enraged the soldiers guarding the presidential palace, who were waiting for us behind another metal barrier further down. They pushed us back, hit us with batons and used teargas to force us to disperse."

She pointed out that the journalists who took part in a previous march organized by the Association of Honduran Journalists (CPH) on 9 November were able to demonstrate without any problem.

Honduras is the western hemisphere's deadliest country for the media after Mexico. Five Honduran journalists have been killed since the start of this year. In three of the cases, the motive was directly or very probably linked to the victim's work.