Summary

The secretariat has the honour to submit to the Human Rights Council the report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Morris Tidball-Binz, on his official visit to Honduras, which took place from 22 May to 2 June 2023. During his visit, the Special Rapporteur examined existing measures and national efforts to prevent and investigate unlawful killings, including deaths resulting from institutional violence, deaths in custody and gender-based killings.

The Special Rapporteur acknowledges the legacy of human rights violations and violence inherited by the current Government and commends the political discourse acknowledging the existing gaps and challenges as well as the willingness to address past violations and prevent their recurrence. He underscores the structural challenges that are impeding efforts to uphold the right to life, including the impunity for criminal offences and corruption that is endemic in State institutions. Despite systematic reporting of unlawful killings and State efforts to provide reparations for the families of victims, very few cases are investigated and in even fewer cases are the perpetrators prosecuted.

In his report, the Special Rapporteur offers practical and context-specific recommendations for improving the prevention and investigation of unlawful killings, enhancing accountability and effectively safeguarding the right to life, especially the lives of vulnerable persons and groups. The Special Rapporteur stands ready to assist the Government of Honduras in the effective implementation of his recommendations.