The APT urges Honduras to enforce the recommendations put forward last week by Member States of the UN Human Rights Council during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). These recommendations highlight that it is imperative that civilian police forces - and not military ones – are responsible for security strategies in Honduras.
Honduras was encouraged to adopt a new law, which sets specific deadlines on the withdrawal of military forces from police units. These measures would help prevent torture and ill-treatment, and would help carry forward the prison reform which has been initiated (even though it has not yet been fully implemented) in the country. This reform seeks to transition the detention system towards a civilian system and put an end to the current tendency of increasing militarization in civilian positions.
The APT would, however, like to commend the State on its clear commitment to implement international standards relating to detention, as well as recommendations from the Inter-American Commission on Human Right's report on the situation of detainees in Honduras. We also welcome the State's commitment to ensure that grievances concerning human rights violations committed by the police, armed forces or members of private entities are investigated and prosecuted and that redress be made available to victims. This should be enforced without delay.
The recommendations were put forth to the Honduran State during the second UPR on Honduras at the United Nations. During the UPR the human rights situation in the country and the implementation of recommendations made five years ago were reviewed. In September 2015 Honduras will pronounce itself on the recommendations that have not yet been accepted.
