On Tuesday, September 1, seven water defenders from Guapinol will complete one year in custody. Another has been in jail since December 2018. They are facing political persecution for defending the environment:
The Honduran State Must:
Guarantee the protection and physical safety of Committee members and their families, including those being criminalized by the Los Pinares mining company and the Public Prosecutor's Office of Tocoa, as well as the families of imprisoned water defenders.
Respect the decision taken at the Municipal Water Summit and the Municipal Open Town Hall as a space for consultation where the citizens of the municipality declared itself free of mining in response to the clear opposition to the mining concessions of Inversiones Los Pinares and Ecotek in Tocoa, Colon.
The Attorney General Must:
Immediately drop the charges against all water defenders in Tocoa. The charges that have been brought against dozens of community members are unfounded and negligent, built on false testimony and illegal evidence that serves to stigmatize and punish legitimate and democratic expressions of free association and opposition to projects that threaten the community's access to a healthy environment and clean water.
The prosecution's insistence on preventive detention for water defenders in this case is cruel and unusual punishment. You should desist from calling for this measure immediately.
Instead of investigating a serious incident, the injury of the young protester on September 7, 2018, the MP has focused on building a false case against the water defenders. This fact should be investigated.
The MP is obliged to investigate the more than 10 complaints filed in relation to the illegal concession to operate a mine within the protected area and Carlos Escaleras National Park.
The Judiciary Must:
Immediately send the case files of the eight imprisoned defenders to the court of national jurisdiction so that their judicial process can continue.
Guarantee due process, the right to a fair and prompt judicial process and judicial independence.
