ACTION: Honduran Human Rights Defender at Risk (UA 22/12)

Hi Amnesty International supporters!

Thank you for visiting our blog. We're still developing the Urgent Action Network blog and are keen to receive any feedback you may be able to give.

Below you will find our first Urgent Action post. We can get up to 10-12 new cases each day and we'll select one or two every day and post them here for you all to take action.

We've included a summary of the case, details of what to put in your letter and the address of the most influential target for this action. We've also attached a full casesheet if you would like to read more about the case and the issues. The full casesheet also includes other important targets if you would like to send more than one letter.

If you would like help writing your letter please don't hesitate to contact us on iar@amnesty.org.uk. If this is your first letter and you'd like us to look over it feel free to email it to us first.

You will also find attached three documents which make up the amazing resource that is the Participation Guide which will answer any questions you may have about the Network and how it works. This can also be downloaded at the bottom of the page on www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent

Happy letter writing and please take action soon!

HONDURAS

Itsmania Pineda Platero (f)

A Honduran human rights defender and blogger, based in the capital, Tegucigalpa, has received death threats by phone and text message. Her life could be at risk.

Itsmania Pineda Platero is the director of the Asociación Xibalba, an activist organization working on issues of public security and youth rehabilitation in Honduras.  She  also has a personal blog where she writes about issues such as freedom of expression, organized crime and youth . On 6 January at 6pm, Itsmania Pineda Platero received a phone call from an unknown man who told her “We will kill you bitch” (Perra te vamos a matar). At 10pm on the same night, Itsmania Pineda Platero received another phone call from the same number, though nobody spoke to her directly, she heard men's voices and a noise which sounded like a firearm trigger being clicked.

Two days later, on 8 January at 12.27pm, she was threatened by text message. The message read “[…] Don’t play with fire because not even your bodyguards will save you, […] be careful” (“[…] No juegues con fuego que ní tu guardaespaldas te van a salvar, […], cuidate”). On 9 January, at 8.26am, Itsmania Pineda Platero received another threatening text message saying ”Any moment now we’re going to toss you into “El Crematorio” [the rubbish dump], we are going to be your nightmare” (“En cualquier momento te vamos a ir a botar al crematorio, vamos a ser tu pesadilla”). The human rights defender explained to Amnesty International that this message referred to a well known rubbish dump called El Crematorio in Tegucigalpa, where corpses have been found in the past.

Itsmania Pineda Platero does not have any bodyguards, and should be provided with any protection by the authorities. Her life could be at risk.

Please write immediately in Spanish or your own language:
* Calling for an independent, thorough and impartial investigation into the threats against Itsmania Pineda Platero, with the results made public and those responsible brought to justice;
* Urging the authorities to take immediate steps to provide appropriate protection to Itsmania Pineda Platero, in accordance with her wishes;
* Reminding the authorities that human rights defenders have a right to carry out their activities without any unfair restrictions or fear of reprisals, as set out in the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 6 MARCH 2012 TO:  (Time difference = GMT - 6 hrs / BST - 7 hrs)

Attorney General
Sr. Luis Alberto Rubí
Fiscal General de la República
Lomas del Guijarro, Avenida República Dominicana, Edificio Lomas Plaza II
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Fax: 00504 2221 5667
Salutation: Sr. Fiscal General/ Dear Attorney General