Sr. Presidente
Sr. Juan Orlando Hernández
President of Honduras
Sr. Fiscal
Óscar Fernando Chinchilla
Attorney General of Honduras
Dear Sirs:
We are incredulous and outraged at the refusal by Honduran authorities to allow human rights defender Gustavo Castro Soto to return to Mexico where he directs Otros Mundos A.C./Friends of the Earth, a Mexican non-governmental organization (NGO). Gustavo Castro Soto was in Honduras facilitating capacity-building workshops. He was the sole witness to the murder on March 2 of his colleague, indigenous leader Berta Cáceras (cf our letter of March 7) and was injured in the attack.
Early in the morning of March 6 Honduran authorities intercepted Gustavo Castro Soto at the airport in Tegucigalpa, as he attempted to board a flight to Mexico. The Attorney General’s office issued an order requiring him to stay in the country to continue giving testimony about the murder of Berta Cáceres. Otros Mundos said in a press release that he is currently being held at the Mexican embassy in Tegucigalpa. Gustavo Castro fears that the authorities are seeking to return him to Intibucá Department one day after authorities told him he was free to leave. He has already provided testimony and fears for his safety in Honduras.
He has asked the authorities for copies of his declarations, but they have denied this petition and have not provided him with information about the investigation. Otros Mundos said they fear that his rights to due process are being violated and that his safety is in danger if he is returned to Intibucá.
We strongly urge that you
- abstain from returning Gustavo Castro Soto to Intibucá Department and allow him to return to Mexico as soon as possible;
- respect his rights to due process and consular protection.
Sincerely,
Brian J. Stefan Szittai and Christine Stonebraker-Martinez
Co-Coordinators
