Update: Honduran court calls for the imprisonment of activist Bertha Cáceres

Honduran and international social movements have spoken out against the sentencing of Bertha Cáceres , Aureliano Molina and Thomas Gomez, members of COPINH members (Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras) last Friday, September 20. They were charged with theft, coercion and damage to DESA , a company implementing a hydroelectric project in the ancestral lands of the indigenous Lenca.

The decision, taken by Judge Reyes Lissien Knight (who did not appear in court), as requested by the Public Ministry and the company, included prison for COPINH coordinator, Berta Cáceres and punitive measures for her fellow activists.

The charges are a government response to the activists’ peaceful efforts to defend community lands, indigenous knowledge, and local ecosystems.

Friends of the Earth International is urgently consulting with local partners and hopes to provide further updates in the near future. Spanish speakers can listen to interviews and updates on Radio Mundo Real.

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