PBI-Honduras observes hearing of Diamond Rock community members criminalized for defending ancestral territory

Published by Brent Patterson on March 21, 2025March 21, 2025

On March 20, PBI-Honduras posted: “Today we are closely following the verdict in the criminalization case against 13 defenders of the English-speaking Black people of the community of Diamond Rock, Roatan. In recent days, we have been observing the trial against the 13 people accused of damages, some also for arson and robbery. We are concerned about the criminalization processes against Afro-Honduran and Garifuna communities for defending their ancestral territories against tourism projects. National Network of Women Human Rights Defenders in Honduras, Justice for the Peoples Law Firm, OFRANEH-Garifuna/ Honduran Black Fraternal Organization.”

While the community was waiting for the ruling, the Women Defenders Network posted: “Urgent Alert: Increases the presence of police and military in hearing to issue a verdict against 13 defenders of the English-speaking Black people, unjustly criminalized for defending their right to ancestral land-territory.”

The ruling

The Justice for the Peoples Law Firm has now posted: “Alert: With illegal evidence, Judge Hermes Pineda issues an order of formal prosecution against 4 defenders of the English-speaking Black People for defending territorial rights.”

Background and context

On March 19, the day before this ruling, Reportar Sin Miedo (Report Without Fear) noted:

“In an unexpected twist, the Public Ministry of Roatan today expanded the accusation and requested preventive detention for 13 criminalized people and defenders of the English-speaking Black people, ‘despite the total lack of evidence’, denounced today the Law Firm for the Peoples.

The Justice for the Peoples Law Firm pointed out that the Judiciary continues to be co-opted by the large economic interests in the Bay Islands. Edy Tábora, lawyer for the Firm, reported in a video to the national and international community that the participation of the accused persons in any criminal act has not been proven. He also stated that the Public Prosecutor’s Office is illegally promoting some cases to criminalize the struggle of the peoples.

In its publication, [the National Network of Women Human Rights Defenders] detailed that the MP initiated this judicial process against the defenders for defending their right to land and self-determination in a collective property in the community of Diamond Rock, Bay Islands. They added that the Cooper-McNab family intends to usurp this property that has belonged to the community since 1965.

The Mc Laughlin family reported in a statement that on January 5, 2025, they decided to lift the gates, remove the wooden fence, clear the entrance and recover their property. The McLaughlins are members of the Native Black people of these islands, under the tutelage of the Honduran Black Fraternal Organization (Ofraneh).

They added that they carried out such actions after nearly 20 years of filing usurpation complaints against the powerful Cooper-McNab family. They also indicated that in this way they exercised their self-determination with the support of their ancestral title.”

The full article from Reportar Sin Miedo can be read at Ordenan prisión preventiva contra 13 personas negras en Roatán.

The call to accompany the hearing

To encourage accompaniment of the trial the Justice for the Peoples Law Firm had posted:

“Jakira Lucas McLaughlin, criminalized defender, is grateful for the support provided by Ofraneh and various national and international organizations

Ask for support in the culmination of the initial hearing against 13 people defending the English-speaking Black people, criminalized by the MP for defending their territorial rights

Wednesday, March 19, 8:30 AM, Roatan Letter Court

We demand respect and guarantee for our ancestral territories rights! _

*Close the case permanently now!*”

And the Calan Institute has also highlighted (in both English and Spanish):

“35 national and international human rights organizations send a public letter to the Attorney General of Honduras, Johel Zelaya, regarding the process of criminalization and displacement against the McLaughlin family, members of the Native Black Islander community of Diamond Rock, Roatán.”

We continue to follow this.