Nearly two years after a wave of popular uprisings began in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a lack of substantive institutional reform has left states struggling to maintain democratic achievements, according to a new Freedom House report. The findings illuminate reform failures that have contributed to recent violence across the MENA region.
The brutal killing of journalist Jose Noel Canales highlights the persistent danger for media in Honduras. Freedom House calls on Honduran authorities to thoroughly investigate the circumstances of his death and to not rule out that the killing might be linked to his journalistic work
Freedom House mourns the tragic death of journalist Angel Alfredo Villatoro, who was found dead last night in the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, and calls on Honduran authorities to follow through on their stated commitment to bring his killer to justice, and to do more ensure the protection of journalists.
Freedom House is deeply concerned by the increase in attacks against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) human rights defenders in Honduras, including the recent murder of Erick Martinez Avila, an LGBT activist, who was found dead yesterday morning in Tegucigalpa after going missing two days earlier. Freedom House asks authorities to conduct a swift and exhaustive investigation of Avila’s death, and to not rule out that the motive may have been related to Avila’s work.