Tactics and tools for the protection
of Human Rights Defenders

25 January 2012

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

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 6 MARCH 2012.
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

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 te 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.
  

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 6 MARCH 2012 TO:
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

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 HumanRights
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
Ambassade de la République du Honduras
Avenue des Gaulois 3
1040 Bruxelles
eMail: honduras telenet.be
Fax 02.735.26.26

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).

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