World Association of News Publishers


Protest Campaign - Honduras, 18 May 2012

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Protest Campaign - Honduras, 18 May 2012

Article ID:

15157

His Excellency Porfirio Lobo
President of Honduras
Tegucigalpa, Honduras

18 May, 2012

 

Your Excellency,

We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries, to express our grave concern at the murder of journalist Alfredo Villatoro.

According to reports, on 16 May the body of Mr Villatoro, programme co-ordinator and presenter at the radio station HRN, was found on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa. Mr Villatoro, who had been kidnapped on his way to work six days previously, had been shot twice in the head and dressed in a police uniform. Hours before his body was found, your Excellency stated that the journalist’s family had received a video proving he was alive. The motive behind the killing remains unclear.

Mr Villatoro was one of the most influential journalists in Honduras and had previously received death threats. His murder follows that of journalist and gay rights activist Erick Martínez Ávila on 7 May and gun attacks on the home of journalist Selvin Hércules Martínez and the car of journalist Elder Joel Aguilar late last month.

Mr Villatoro’s death brings to 26 the number of journalists killed in Honduras in the past decade, 20 of them in the period immediately after the June 2009 coup d’état. 

We are deeply troubled to see your country appearing in international news headlines as one of the most dangerous countries for media professionals worldwide, along with countries like Mexico, Pakistan and the Philippines.

We respectfully remind you that it is the duty of the state to provide an environment in which journalists are able to work without fear of violence. The threat of violence that exists in Honduras creates a climate of fear that promotes self-censorship, gravely undermining citizens' rights to freedom of information.

We call on you to ensure that thorough and impartial investigations into the murders of Mr Villatoro and Mr Ávila are carried out and that those responsible are quickly brought to justice. We ask you to do everything in your power to end the climate of impunity and to ensure the safety of journalists.

We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,

 

Jacob Mathew
President
World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers

 

Erik Bjerager
President
World Editors Forum

Author

Andrew Heslop's picture

Andrew Heslop

Date

2012-05-18 16:05

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In countless countries, journalists, editors and publishers are physically attacked, imprisoned, censored, suspended or harassed for their work. WAN-IFRA is committed to defending freedom of expression by promoting a free and independent press around the world. Read more ...