Sentencing hearing for an intellectual author of the murder of Berta Cáceres postponed

Photo: PBI-Honduras at the Viva Berta Feminist Camp, May 2021.

On February 16, the Council of Popular Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) tweeted: “Reading of the Judgment of the case against David Castillo for next April 4, 2022. The Sentencing Court with National Territorial Jurisdiction in Criminal Matters summons to read the sentence after a delay of more than 7 months.”

But by March 29, COPINH tweeted: “Once again the sentencing hearing for David Castillo is postponed for the murder case of our compañera Berta Cáceres.”

And on April 4, COPINH coordinator Bertha Zúniga Cáceres tweeted:  “Although there is no sentencing today, David Castillo’s guilty verdict is our victory. We continue!”

Her mother Berta was killed on March 3, 2016. In March 2018, David Castillo was charged as an intellectual author of the murder. That trial didn’t begin until April 6, 2021. He was found guilty on July 5, 2021, but has still not been sentenced.

Bertha has stated: “One year ago, the Viva Berta Feminist Camp was set up as an expression of the search for justice for the sister of all #BertaCáceres.”

Criterio.hn also reports: “On the first anniversary of the Viva Berta Feminist Camp, they remembered the indigenous leader, Berta Cáceres and pressured the Judiciary to give strength to the Agua Zarca case with the prompt sentence of Roberto David Castillo Mejía, found guilty as co-author in the murder of the extinct environmentalist.”

Last year, Bertha also explained that the camp is an initiative of feminist organizations “to also accompany the demand for justice and ratify that this process is not only of interest to her daughters, her family or her organization COPINH, but also of the community of human rights in Honduras and outside Honduras.”

PBI-Honduras has accompanied COPINH since May 2016.