Urgent Action Update: PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE CONTINUE IN JAIL (Honduras: UA 03.22)

Only two of the eight members of the Municipal Committee for the Defence of Common and Public Assets (CMDBCP), have been so far acquitted and released. Six of them were found guilty of the crimes of illegal deprivation of liberty and aggravated damages against the contractor of the company Inversiones Los Pinares (ILP), and simple and aggravated damages against ILP on February 9, 2022. The six prisoners of conscience continue in detention in Yoro (North Honduras), despite the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice having issued two resolutions in favour of them. Their arbitrary detention is solely for standing up in defence of protected water sources in danger by a mining project. The charges against them must be dropped so that they are and released immediately and unconditionally.

TAKE ACTION:

1. Please take action as-soon-as possible. This Urgent Action expires on April 15, 2022.
2. Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
3. Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 03.22. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.

CONTACT INFORMATION

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SAMPLE LETTER Dear Attorney General, I’m writing to express my deepest concern that only two of the eight prisoners of conscience where acquitted and released on February 9, 2022. Amnesty International continues to be seriously concerned for the life and integrity of the other six. José Daniel Márquez, Kelvin Alejandro Romero, José Abelino Cedillo, Porfirio Sorto Cedillo, Ewer Alexander Cedillo and Orbin Nahún Hernández, members of the Municipal Committee for the Defence of Common and Public Assets (CMDBCP in Spanish) and defenders of the Guapinol river in Northern Honduras, have been wrongfully deprived of their liberty for more than 29 months. On February 10, 2022, one day after they were found guilty, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) of Honduras informed of two resolutions issued in favor of the eight defenders, in relation to two amparos writs filed in 2020 and 2021 for violations of due process of law and their pre-trial detention. In view of these two recent resolutions by the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Honduras, I urge you to drop the charges against the six human rights defenders who continue to be unfairly imprisoned after more than two years, so that they are immediately and unconditionally released in compliance with the recommendations of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, in order to guarantee their right to life, health, liberty, freedom of expression and right to defend human rights. Sincerely, [YOUR NAME] ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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