Honduras

WHEREAS the city of San Pedro Sula in Cortés province improperly closed television channel Voz e Imagen de Centro América VICA and the radio station La Voz de Centro América for four hours and 30 minutes on October 8, 2002 WHEREAS the television station had criticized the government in one of its broadcasts a few days earlier WHEREAS this action violated constitutional and international provisions, such as those in the Inter-American Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression WHEREAS Principle 5 of the Declaration of Chapultepec establishes that “Prior censorship, restrictions on the circulation of the media or dissemination of their reports, forced publication of information, the imposition of obstacles to the free flow of news, and restrictions on the activities and movements of journalists directly contradict freedom of the press” WHEREAS Principle 10 of the Declaration of Chapultepec establishes that “No news medium nor journalist may be punished for publishing the truth or criticizing or denouncing the government” THE MIDYEAR MEETING OF THE IAPA RESOLVES to urge the municipal authorities not to take actions that inhibit press freedom because of being criticized publicly to recommend that the municipality of San Pedro Sula conform to the guidelines and legal regulations that guarantee press freedom.