COFADEH Demands Investigation

On January 29th the Committee of Families of Disappeared-Detainees of Honduras (COFADEH) filed a complaint to the Honduran interior ministry, because the director of that human rights organisation, Bertha Oliva de Nativí, has received death threats. These death threats are part of an intimidation campaign, to which the employees of COFADEH have been subjected since November 2008. COFADEH is a non-governmental organisation, which works in defence of the rights of the disappeared and prisoners and also on the issue of land rights. COFADEH demands a brisk and comprehensive investigation from the government agencies.

Last year unknown individuals twice broke into the COFADEH offices, proceeded to vandalise the place and stole important documents and data media. On several occasions Bertha Oliva was followed by unidentified vehicles; likewise the private home of a co-worker had been ransacked. In autumn her name appeared on a so-called black list. So far other blacklisted people have been killed or were forced to go into exile: In April 2008 Rosa Altagracia Fuentes, general secretary of the Workers’ Confederation of Honduras, was killed by masked individuals. In November Francisco Machado, Director of ASONOG an association of NGOs, was forced to leave the country out of fear for his integrity. Since that time, the media are campaigning with an alleged corruption complaint against Bertha Oliva against COFADEH. The director has asked the interior ministry and the attorney general for a full investigation.

The reason for this intimidation campaign may well be several human rights activities in which COFADEH is involved. Thus COFADEH has agreed with the Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya Rosales, to adopt a decree that will establish a national compensation programme for victims of human rights violations from the 1980s.