Honduras Sees Freedom of Expression Plummet

بقلم: Ivan Martínez
2015-05-14 12:42:02

Pinterest
Telegram
Linkedin
WhatsApp

Tegucigalpa, May 14 ( teleSUR-RHC)-- Attacks on freedom of expression in Honduras are at an all time high, with dozens of assaults reported on journalists, human rights defenders, opposition politicians, and artists, according to a report released on Wednesday.

The report, put out by Honduras-based freedom of expression organization C-Libre, recorded 44 violations against freedom of expression in Honduras from January to March of this year alone – which comes to about 14.66 assaults per month. These figures tripled from the number of reported assaults in 2014, when only 14 were documented in that same period.

 

The attacks this year have already affected 46 journalists, two human rights defenders, seven opposition politicians, three media organizations, dozens of middle school students and a group of national artists, said the non-government organization.

 

According to C-Libre, the attacks have been progressively increasing over the past few years. During the same period of time in 2008, only two assaults against freedom of speech were recorded, while eight assaults were recorded in 2009, 12 assaults in 2010, 23 assaults in 2011, and 41 assaults reported in 2012.

 

In the last seven years combined, C-Libre recorded 73 aggressions against journalists and employees from Radio and TV Globo alone, a media organization known for being critical of the current government.

 

According to other international freedom of speech monitors, Honduras is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a journalist. In the 2014 World Press Freedom Index, the Central American country ranked 129 out of 180 countries. Pen International, also reported that journalists are regularly threatened, attacked, and killed for their work, while the government consistently fails to punish the perpetrators, “essentially granting them impunity,” says the international freedom of speech watch dog.



التعليق


أترك تعليقا
الجميع مطلوبة
لم يتم نشره
captcha challenge
فيما يلي
  • Árabe
  • Creole
  • Inglés

الأكثر قراءة

up