Honduras: Murder of environmentalist Juan López, criminalisation of environmentalists and the role of corporations must be investigated: UN experts

GENEVA – Independent UN experts condemned the murder of human rights defender Juan López in Honduras and called for an independent investigation into his death and the role that businesses and politicians may have played in the matter.

“His murder represents a tragic loss not only for his family and community, but also for the ongoing struggle for justice and corporate accountability in the world,” the experts said.

López was a member of the Comité Municipal de Defensa de los Bienes Comunes y Públicos (CMDBCP) of Tocoa, department of Colón, Honduras, and a tireless defender of the rights of local communities, fighting to protect the land and environment in the national park ‘Montaña de Botaderos Carlos Escaleras Mejia’ from the negative consequences of extractive activities on the Guapinol and San Pedro rivers.

“His murder is part of a series of attacks, intimidation and criminalisation of human rights defenders who are members of the Municipal Committee for the Defence of Common and Public Goods (CMDBCP) and who speak about the negative consequences of the activities of the mining company Inversiones los Pinares (formerly EMCO Mining Company) in the national park and of the steel company Inversiones ECOTEK.” Both companies belong to EMCO Holdings, which has been reportedly associated with a large steel company abroad.

The experts urged Honduran authorities to launch an immediate and independent investigation into López’s death, to establish its causes and circumstances including the role the company and local politicians may have played in the matter, and to bring those responsible to justice.

“We regret that after the murder of the defender, the campaign of harassment continues by companies and authorities against members of the CMDBCP. On 18 September, the Court of Appeal of Tocoa decided to revoke the definitive dismissal of defenders of the CMDBCP who had been illegally detained in 2021 for almost three years.

“These events occurred after they have denounced the alleged links of the mayor of Tocoa with companies operating in the municipality and drug traffickers.

“Such attacks on defenders are a flagrant violation to their non-derogable right to life and severely undermine the full enjoyment of rights and a sustainable future for all,” the experts said.

“The Honduran investigative authorities should establish patterns of human rights violations against human rights defenders, identify the root causes of their unlawful killings, and elaborate a strategy to prevent recurrence including by bringing to justice perpetrators, masterminds, and accomplices, and providing reparation to victims and their families,” the experts said. They also called for ensuring full protection for his family, the CMDBCP and local communities.

As part of their responsibility to respect human rights, businesses, including investors, must ensure that their actions or omissions do not lead to reprisals, violence or intimidation, or the use of legal proceedings against defenders, across their value chain, they said.

The experts have already communicated with government and companies on this issue, including in 2021 and 2023.