Thursday, January 23, 2014
Honduran woman standing next to graffitti art in honour of dead

Co-authored with PEN Canada and PEN International, report calls for Honduran government to end lethal violence against journalists and its climate of impunity, and for donor states such as the UK and Canada to work with Honduras on these issues

Journalists who cover organized crime, government corruption and other sensitive issues are increasingly facing threats and lethal attacks in Honduras, with almost complete impunity for perpetrators, said PEN International in a new report released today in partnership with PEN Canada and the International Human Rights Program (IHRP) at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.

The report – Honduras: Journalism in the Shadow of Impunity documents the rise in violence against journalists following the coup d’état that ousted President José Manuel Zelaya in June 2009, and the failure of both state and international mechanisms to investigate and punish those responsible. Since June 2009 at least 32 Honduran journalists – most working for the broadcast media – have been killed and many more continue to work in a climate of fear and self-censorship. 

Read the full media release here.

Read the report (PEN International website)

Photo by: Carmen Cheung