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Freedom of Expression

Press Release R50-09

PRESS RELEASE

PREN R50/09

 

OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

CONDEMNS DETENTION OF FOREIGN JOURNALISTS IN HONDURAS

 

Washington, D.C., July 12, 2009—The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemns the detentions and acts of intimidation to which members of television news crews from TeleSUR and Venezolana de Televisión (VTV) were subject in Honduras, incidents that forced the members of the crews to leave the country. These events have taken place in the context of serious violations of the right to freedom of expression as a result of the coup d’etat and the interruption of the constitutional order in Honduras. The Office of the Special Rapporteur reiterates its demand for unconditional respect for the right to freedom of expression in Honduras and demands that the safety of members of the communications media be guaranteed so they can do their work.

 

According to the information received, on the night of July 11, members of the police reportedly detained four members of TeleSUR and VTV news crews and took them to a police station for the stated purpose of verifying their immigration status. After some hours, those detained were reportedly released. The next morning, members of the police forces reportedly hindered the reporters from leaving the hotel for several hours, giving as a reason that they had to wait for immigration authorities to arrive to verify their status. According to the information received, journalists and members of the TeleSUR and VTV technical crews had been held as a form of intimidation, due to their coverage of the coup d’etat and the process of institutional interruption. According to the information received, the crews from both channels had to leave the country because they believed there was a serious security risk involved in continuing to do their work.

 

The Office of the Special Rapporteur rejects these acts and reiterates the obligation to unconditionally respect the right to freedom of expression in Honduras. The Office of the Special Rapporteur also demands that all members of the media, independently of their editorial stance, are guaranteed the possibility of expressing their ideas and disseminating the information they obtain. Direct or indirect acts of intimidation or censorship that are based on the coverage or editorial stance of a media outlet for the purpose of silencing it flagrantly violate people’s right to express themselves without fear of reprisal, as well as the fundamental right of society to receive pluralistic and diverse information without any type of censorship.

 

The Office of the Special Rapporteur recalls that on June 29, 2009, it strongly condemned the limitations on freedom of expression in Honduras that took place following the coup d’etat and the institutional interruption, and called for unconditional respect for this fundamental right, which underlies the inter-American system (Press Release R44-09). The Office of the Special Rapporteur has closely followed the growing tensions in Honduras following the coup, particularly with respect to situations related to the exercise of freedom of expression and information. In this regard, the IACHR has granted precautionary measures to a number of journalists at risk, and has requested information on reported acts such as obstacles to the exercise of freedom of expression.

 

In this context, the Office of the Special Rapporteur recalls once again that Article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights establishes categorically that "everyone has the right to freedom of thought and expression. This right includes freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing, in print, in the form of art, or through any other medium of one's choice." The exercise of this right may not be subject to prior censorship, nor may it be restricted by indirect methods or means, according to the Convention. Principle 5 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression prohibits all forms of prior censorship, interference, or direct or indirect pressure exerted on any expression, opinion, or information disseminated by any type of media. According to this principle, "restrictions to the free circulation of ideas and opinions, as well as the arbitrary imposition of information and the imposition of obstacles to the free flow of information violate the right to freedom of expression." Along these same lines, Principle 13 of the Declaration of Principles states that the communications media "have the right to carry out their role in an independent manner. Direct or indirect pressures exerted upon journalists or other social communicators to stifle the dissemination of information are incompatible with freedom of expression."    

 

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