PBI-Honduras accompanies CEHPRODEC legal team at trial of 5 Indigenous leaders criminalized for defending their territory

On June 10, PBI-Honduras posted: “Today CEHPRODEC accompanies the conclusion of the oral and public trial in the case of the Indigenous Council of Simpinula in the Court of Judgment of Comayagua.”

It adds: “Victor Vasquez, along with Esteban Castillo, Armando Castillo, Jose Eain Castillo and Demetrio Lopez, are accused of damage, despite having a community title.”

And CEHPRODEC has tweeted: “The CEHPRODEC legal department ready for the defense in the oral and public trial of the 5 indigenous leaders of the Indigenous Council of Simpinula, accused of damages for the protection of their ancestral territory.”

Víctor Vásquez

Front Line Defenders has explained: “Víctor Vásquez is a member of the Consejo Indígena de Simpinula (Indigenous Council of Simpinula) in Santa María, La Paz.”

“He is also the local leader of the Movimiento Indígena Independiente Lenca de La Paz (Lenca Indigenous Movement of La Paz, Honduras – MILPAH), which advocates for the rights of Lenca indigenous peoples to self-determination and to their ancestral lands.”

“The human rights defender has been repeatedly threatened for supporting local small farmers’ groups in La Paz in activities to recover land they consider has been illegally privatized by local authorities.”

The human rights defender was indicted for the crime of ‘injuries’ in 2018. Víctor Vásquez has been detained at the La Paz Penal Centre since 11 December 2020, after being arbitrarily detained by Honduran police officers.”

PBI-Honduras highlights: “The Simpinula community says community leader Victor Vazquez ‘has planted a fertile seed’ with more than six months in pre-trial detention for defending ancestral lands and defending human rights.”