25 November 2009
The United States Embassy in Honduras expressed "grave concern" about violations of women's human rights including "allegations of rape and other types of sexual abuse of anti-coup protestors by police" on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Members of the international community have also recently expressed concern about the violations of women's human rights. A group including former Nobel Peace Prize recipients published an open letter to the U.S. Secretary of State on 20 November 2009. On 2 November 2009, human rights advocates from two Honduran non-governmental organizations presented their concerns to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
The Inter-American Commission issued a press release on 13 November 2009 at the conclusion of its 137th period of sessions stating:
“The IACHR received updated information during these sessions indicating that the situation of human rights defenders in that country is deteriorating by the day, in the context of other violations since the coup d'état. It was indicated that human rights defenders who persist in denouncing human rights violations committed by the de facto authorities are threatened, harassed, defamed, and accused publicly.”
Compiled from: Press release, 137th Period of Sessions, Inter-American Commission for Human Rights, No 78/09 (13 November 2009); Women Leaders Urge Clinton to Condemn Violence Against Women in Honduras, Nobel Women's Initiative (20 November 2009); International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, U.S. Embassy in Honduras (25 November 2009).