Front Line is deeply concerned by reports of an attempt on the life of Luis Javier Santos on 1 September 2008. Luis Javier Santos is an anti-corruption prosecutor in Honduras who investigates cases of corruption, including by state officials.
Further Information
Posted 05/09/2008 Front Line is deeply concerned by reports of an attempt on the life of Luis Javier Santos on 1 September 2008. Luis Javier Santos is an anti-corruption prosecutor in Honduras who investigates cases of corruption, including by state officials.
On 7 April 2008, Javier Luis Santos, together with other prosecutors, initiated a hunger strike in protest at the course of official corruption investigations. In August 2007, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights requested that Javier Luis Santos should be the beneficiary of protective measures, which to date have not been provided by the Honduran government.
On 1 September 2008, at 6 p.m., Luis Javier Santos was driving on Junior Avenue in the Barandillas neighbourhood of San Pedro Sula, 240 km from Tegucigalpa on the northern coast. As Luis Javier Santos and his 6 year-old son made their way along the avenue, their vehicle was approached by individuals who came alongside them and shot at Luis Javier Santos four times, in his liver, kidneys and in one lung. He is currently receiving medical treatment for his injuries and reports indicate that his condition is serious but stable. His son was uninjured in the attack.
Luis Javier Santos has been the subject of regular threats as a result of his work fighting corruption in Honduras. During a court hearing, a former mayor of the municipality of Santa Barbara publicly threatened the prosecutor; physically hitting him and directing death threats towards him.
Front Line believes that the attempted murder of Luis Javier Santos is directly related to his work in defence of human rights. In view of these incidents, Front Line expresses its serious concern for the physical and psychological integrity of Luis Javier Santos, his family, and all those working to combat official corruption in Honduras.
Action Finished:
This Urgent Appeal has now ended. No further action is requested at this point. Thank you for taking action on this case.
Front Line issues Urgent Appeals on behalf of human rights defenders at risk on a daily basis. These Appeals normally remain active on our web site for a period of up to six weeks, depending on the situation. After this time they will be archived. Front Line maintains a watching brief on all these cases but no further action is requested after the six weeks, unless there is a significant development in the case.
