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Mr. President of the Republic of Honduras, please ensure the safety of Honduran lawyers!
Union I.
started this petition to
Sr. Presidente de la República de Honduras
On the occasion of the Day of the Endangered Lawyer, the entire legal profession would like to express its deep-felt concern with regard to the situation faced by lawyers and law professionals in Honduras.
In a climate of acute violence, the Honduran people’s loss of confidence in the judicial institution and its different actors has taken the form of extreme behaviour, particularly with regard to law professionals over the past few years.
Since 2010, almost 100 colleagues have been assassinated in Honduras solely for having practiced their profession. In the large majority of cases, these murders were committed with firearms and have remained unpunished. Many other lawyers are being threatened every day and are victims of harassment.
In order to protect themselves, lawyers are forced to take precautions, particularly while travelling, and even in the choice of the cases they defend.
This situation is unacceptable and seriously violates the fundamental principles of the profession and, more generally, the safeguarding of the people’s rights and guarantees.
In the interest of the citizens and in order to fully guarantee the Rule of Law, we respectfully ask Honduran authorities to ensure that:
- Measures are taken so that inquiries are conducted diligently, exhaustively and impartially following attacks on law professionals, in order to identify all those responsible, and that the perpetrators are prosecuted in competent courts in accordance with international fair trial standards.
- The physical and psychological integrity of lawyers and law professions in Honduras are fully guaranteed, so that they are able to discharge their professional functions without any hindrance, intimidation, harassment or undue interference and in total independence, in accordance with established norms, particularly those of the United Nations’ Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
- Educational measures are taken on an emergency basis to inform the population and shape public opinion about the role lawyers play in ensuring the adequate protection of fundamental freedoms and human rights.
Join the movement to support Honduran lawyers! Sign our petition!
In a climate of acute violence, the Honduran people’s loss of confidence in the judicial institution and its different actors has taken the form of extreme behaviour, particularly with regard to law professionals over the past few years.
Since 2010, almost 100 colleagues have been assassinated in Honduras solely for having practiced their profession. In the large majority of cases, these murders were committed with firearms and have remained unpunished. Many other lawyers are being threatened every day and are victims of harassment.
In order to protect themselves, lawyers are forced to take precautions, particularly while travelling, and even in the choice of the cases they defend.
This situation is unacceptable and seriously violates the fundamental principles of the profession and, more generally, the safeguarding of the people’s rights and guarantees.
In the interest of the citizens and in order to fully guarantee the Rule of Law, we respectfully ask Honduran authorities to ensure that:
- Measures are taken so that inquiries are conducted diligently, exhaustively and impartially following attacks on law professionals, in order to identify all those responsible, and that the perpetrators are prosecuted in competent courts in accordance with international fair trial standards.
- The physical and psychological integrity of lawyers and law professions in Honduras are fully guaranteed, so that they are able to discharge their professional functions without any hindrance, intimidation, harassment or undue interference and in total independence, in accordance with established norms, particularly those of the United Nations’ Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
- Educational measures are taken on an emergency basis to inform the population and shape public opinion about the role lawyers play in ensuring the adequate protection of fundamental freedoms and human rights.
Join the movement to support Honduran lawyers! Sign our petition!
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