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PRESS RELEASE N° 03/09
IACHR CONDEMNS MURDER OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER IN HONDURAS
Washington, D.C., February 6, 2009 — The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemns the murder of Cynthia Nicole (registered at birth as César Noel Moreno), a leader of the Colectivo Violeta, an organization that defends the rights of transgender persons in Comayaguela, Honduras.
According to the information received by the IACHR, on January 9, 2009, unknown assailants killed Cynthia Nicole by firing gunshots from inside a moving vehicle, in the neighborhood of Guaserique, in Comayaguela. The IACHR urges the State of Honduras to conduct an exhaustive investigation and to punish those responsible for the killing.
The IACHR has received information about the situation of insecurity faced by those who defend the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community in Honduras. As the IACHR noted in its Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in the Americas, the work of such defenders is essential for building a solid and lasting democratic society. Human rights defenders play a leading role in the process of pursuing the full attainment of the rule of law and the strengthening of democracy.
A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has the mandate to promote respect for human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this matter. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who act in a personal capacity, without representing a particular country, and who are elected by the OAS General Assembly.
Read this press release in Spanish / Lea este comunicado de prensa en español
Press contact: María Isabel
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