Honduras: Crimes against Journalists to be Investigated

Tegucigalpa, Jul 27. – The Catholic Church in Honduras claimed to investigate twenty crimes against journalists in the past four years, 13 of them after the coup of 2009, according to National Radio (RNH).

"It is astonishing, the violent deaths of journalists, whether from the press, radio or television, which figure arrives to 20 in the last four years," said the Church, in the words of Monsignor Romulo Emiliani.

Monsignor Emiliani encouraged the authorities to investigate each murder and to find the guilty persons as soon as possible, in order to stop impunity from encouraging criminals to continue taking lives.

He also encouraged journalists to respect their professional commitment, with prudence and supporting evidence.

Honduras is marked by crime: 24,674 people died in violent actions from 2005 to 2010, according to the National Human Rights Commissioner Ramon Custodio.

The official and journalistic associations agreed that the risks to professionals of the area grew after the coup d'etat against the former constitutional president, Manuel Zelaya, that took place on June 28, 2009.(Prensa Latina)