Attack on Press Freedom: Another Journalist Killed in Honduras

Nery Jeremías Orellana Photo: elheraldo.hn

Nery Jeremías Orellana, 26, the director of Radio Joconguera in the town of Candelaria, in the western department of Lempira, was gunned down Thursday morning. A supporter of recently ousted President Manuel Zelaya, Orellana was a member of the Popular Resistance Front, the group formed after the coup that removed Zelaya from office two years ago.

According to the Honduras National Human Rights Commission, Orellana’s murder brings the number of journalists who have been killed in the past 18 months in Honduras to twelve.

“The government seems deaf about the murders of journalists, and that is worrying,” the Human Rights commissioner Ramón Custodio said.

“We call for an immediate and transparent investigation into Orellana’s murder, and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice” said Anthony Mills, International Press Institute Press Freedom Manager. “When crimes against journalists go unpunished, it acts as a catalyst for more violence against the media. We very much hope that the police will live up to their commitments.”

The following video was posted by Al Jazeera English on May 24, 2010, at which point eight journalists had been murdered.