Honduras: Investigate Murder of Rights Lawyer

Source: Human Rights Watch

Honduras: Investigate Murder of Rights Lawyer
Killers of Antonio Trejo Should Be Brought to Justice
September 24, 2012

Authorities in Honduras should ensure a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation into the killing of attorney Antonio Trejo Cabrera, Human Rights Watch said today. Trejo, a lawyer who advocated for peasant land rights and publicly opposed the creation of special autonomous development zones, was shot and killed on September 22, 2012, after attending a wedding south of Tegucigalpa.

“Authorities need to act swiftly to bring to justice those responsible for Trejo’s murder, and send a clear message that attacks on human rights defenders will be dealt with firmly,” said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch.

Trejo was shot several times at approximately 9:30 pm, just after he exited the church where the wedding had taken place. He was taken to the hospital but died shortly after arriving. The circumstances of his murder strongly suggest that it was a targeted killing and he was not a victim of common crime.

According to news reports, police have opened an investigation into Trejo’s murder.

Trejo was the lead lawyer for a peasant group in the Bajo Aguán Valley, the Movimiento Auténtico Reivindicador Campesino del Aguán (MARCA), which has had a longstanding territorial dispute with local landowners. More than 80 people have been killed in related violence in the valley in the last three years, according to local human rights groups.

Read more: http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/09/24/honduras-investigate-murder-rights-lawyer

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