PUBLICAI Index: AMR 37/06/00

23 June 2000

Further information on UA 127/00 (AMR 37/04/00, 19 May 2000) - Threats / Fear for safety

HONDURASJulio César Pineda Alvarado, journalist, human rights defender

His wife and children

Julio César Pineda Alvarado and his family have received three further threatening anonymous telephone calls since returning to their home near San Pedro Sula. This follows a failed attempt on the journalist’s life on 26 April 2000. Amnesty International is concerned for his and his family’s safety as the authorities have failed to effectively investigate the original crime leaving the perpetrators free to carry out further threats and attacks.

In May the human rights organization, Comité de Familiares de Detenidos-

Desaparecidos en Honduras (COFADEH), Committee of the Relatives of the Detained-Disappeared in Honduras wrote to the Comisión Inter-Americana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH), Inter-American Human Rights Commission asking that the CIDH formally request the Honduran government to implement medidas cautelares (protection measures) for Julio Pineda. The CIDH has reportedly written to the Honduran authorities asking to be informed before the end of June of any significant progress in the investigations into the attempted murder. If the Honduran authorities fail to respond adequately to this request, the CIDH will issue medidas cautelares.

COFADEH has also written to the Director of Dirección General de Investigación Criminal (DGIC), Directorate of Criminal Investigations requesting to be informed of the findings. To date they have not received a reply.

On 26 April, Julio Pineda was shot in the head from point blank range by an unknown individual. He miraculously escaped serious injury. He had received threatening phone calls prior to the attack and his wife was followed in the days after the crime. In the months before the murder attempt Julio Pineda had repeatedly denounced the involvement or acquiescence of police in gang killings of alleged criminal suspects.

FURTHER RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams/telexes/faxes/express/ airmail letters in Spanish or in your own language:

- expressing concern about the renewed threats against Julio César Pineda Alvarado and his family, calling for these threats to be investigated and for those responsible to be brought to justice;

- calling on the authorities to take immediate and effective steps to guarantee the safety of Julio Pineda and his family;

- explaining that you are aware that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and COFADEH have requested to be informed of the findings of the investigation into the threats against and attempted murder of Julio Pineda;

- urging that the authorities immediately comply with this request and make public the findings of all investigations so far undertaken.

APPEALS TO:

Minister of Defense and Public Security

Elizabeth Chiuz Sierra

Ministra de Defensa Nacional y Seguridad Pública

Ministerio de Defensa Nacional y Seguridad Pública

Palacio de los Ministerios, 2º piso

Tegucigalpa, HONDURAS

Telegrams: Ministra Defensa, Honduras

Fax: + 504 239 6892

Salutation:Señora Ministra / Dear Minister

Chief of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations

Dr. Wilfredo Alvarado

Director de la Dirección General de Investigación Criminal (DGIC)

Dirección de Investigación Criminal

5ª avenida, 11 calle,contiguo a Celocías Palermo

Comayaguala, Honduras

Fax: +504 220 0554

E-mail: walvarado@dicmp.org

Salutation: Sr. Director/ Dear Director

Attorney General

Dr. Roy Edmundo Medina

Fiscal General de la República

Fiscalía General, Edificio Poujol

Contiguo a la Casa de la Enfermera

Boulevard Morazán atrás de Banpro

Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Fax: + 504 239 4750

Telegrams: Fiscal General, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Salutation:Sr. Fiscal General/Dear Attorney General

National Commission for the Protection of Human Rights

Dr. Leo Valladares Lanza

Comisionado Nacional de Protección de los Derechos Humanos

Avda. La Paz No. 2444

Contiguo a Galerías La Paz

Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Fax: + 504 221 0536

E-mail: conadeh5@hondutel.hn / info@conadeh.hn

Salutation:Sr. Comisionado/ Dear Commissioner

COPIES TO:

Human rights organizations

Comité de Familiares de Detenidos-Desaparecidos

en Honduras (COFADEH)

Apartado Postal 1243

Tegucigalpa, Honduras

and to diplomatic representatives of Honduras accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 4 August 2000.