DROP the CHARGES: Update by Karen Spring

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September 15, 2021

Update on Trial of Honduran Democracy & Human Rights Defenders
Edwin Espinal & Raúl Álvarez

~ Drop the Charges!! ~

Rights Action shares this update and analysis on Edwin and Raul's trial (facing trumped up charges filed by the corrupt, repressive, U.S. and Canadian backed government) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
This update is from AquiAbajo.org and written by Karen Spring, Edwin's partner.

September 13, 2021

Day One: Edwin and Raul's Trial

· At approximately 7 am, people started gathering outside the Supreme Court in Tegucigalpa to support Edwin and Raul.

· At approximately 9:30 am, the judges notified people interested in observing the trial that they would only allow 9 observers into the courtroom. When starting the proceedings at ~10 am, the judges informed everyone that the trial would not be broadcasted online until possibly the afternoon.

Outside the Court this Morning. From Left to Right: Prisila Alvarado, One of Edwin’s Two Lawyers; Edwin Espinal; Omar Menjivar, Edwin’s Second Lawyer; Alba Lopez, Member of the Committee For the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Honduras; and Raul Alvarez.

Pre-Trial Procedural Stuff

· The trial process begins (as permitted by Honduran law) with the prosecutors and defense presenting additional evidence that was not presented in the evidentiary hearing. Today, the prosecutors mostly just clarified evidence that had previously been accepted by the court. In addition,

· Edwin’s defense team presented 9 documents outlining the state persecution that Edwin has faced since 2009 and one witness, Mery Agurcia from the Honduran human rights organization, COFADEH. The court did not permit any of the evidence presented by Edwin’s defense arguing that they were irrelevant to the crime being tried and were out of context.

· Raul’s defense argued that the raid of Raul’s house after his detention was illegal and that all evidence related to the raid, should be excluded.

· The judges verified the dates that two pieces of evidence had been presented to the court. After discovering that the prosecutors had given the court key evidence just one week before the trial date instead of two months prior (as the court had ordered) the judges warned that they would report this to authorities in the Public Prosecutor’s office. In short, the prosecutors defied a court order violating Edwin and Raul’s right to defense and timely access to evidence.

Read in full: aquiabajo.com/blog

Twitter accounts to follow for trial updates:
@HondurasNow
@EdwinLibertad
@hondurassol
@adriennepine
@springkj
@COPINHHONDURAS

Contact info
Karen Spring (in Honduras)
Podcast: https://www.hondurasnow.org/
Blog: https://www.aquiabajo.com/about
Email: [email protected]

Janet Spring (in Canada)
[email protected]
https://simcoecountyhondurasrightsmonitor.wordpress.com/

U.S. & Canadian Politicians
Don't stop writing your elected officials to hold them accountable for 12 years of full support for the anti-democratic, corrupt, repressive, 'open-for-global-business' regime in power in Honduras, responsible for the deplorable human rights and poverty-desperation situation in the country.

U.S. Senate: https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact
U.S. House: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Canadian Parliament: https://www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members

Tax-Deductible Donations (Canada & U.S.)
To support land and environmental defender groups and human rights and justice struggles in Honduras and Guatemala, and to provide emergency (COVID, hurricanes, political repression, etc.) relief funds, make check to "Rights Action" and mail to:

U.S.: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
Canada: (Box 552) 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8

Credit-Card Donations: http://rightsaction.org/donate/
Donations of securities in Canada and the U.S.? Write to: [email protected]

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