Freedom of the press and of expression continue to be violated by the high levels of violence, threats and censorship of information. The main reports on the state of human rights in the country reflect a total impunity in the cases that are presented, including attacks and murders of journalists.
These cases are not effectively investigated and a large number of them are the object of irresponsible speculations on the part of the authorities (above all the police), who are more interested in seeking faults in victims than in determining who were those responsible for the crimes. All that without prejudice to the fact that institutions such as the IACHR and the IAPA have indicated to the Honduras government that "the authorities should not dismiss the practice of journalism as a motive for murder and/or attack before an investigation is completed."
There continue to prevail in the country penal entities that are used to criminalize and punish critical expressions regarding public officials and concerning matters of public interest, all of which affects journalists and human rights defenders.
There remain in effect laws and official regulations that restrict access to public information, there being denounced an infinity of situations in which information is denied to news media on the argument of "national security" or similar other subterfuges.
While in the Americas there is celebrated the passage of laws of access to public information in this country there is in effect since November 2006 and maintained in full force the "Law for the Classification of Public Documents Regarding Security and National Defense," which contains dispositions contrary to the principles of freedom of information, access to public information and, as a result, an impediment to the fight against corruption.
In these last six months the most relevant cases are:
In May journalist Féllix Molina suffered an attempt on his life in the city of Tegucigalpa, resulting in two bullet wounds. He had previously been the victim of a robbery in the same city.
The government, through CONATEL, issued a resolution through which it agreed to the closure of several electronic media (television) for lack of timely renewal of their licenses. This led to the shutdown of several television channels, including Globo TV.
In June El Heraldo journalist Digna Aguilar left the country due to death threats.
In July La Tribuna journalist Rudy Urbina suffered an attack in the city of Tegucigalpa, receiving a bullet shot, as she was driving her vehicle.
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