HONDURAS, Day 102 – POLITICAL PRISONERS IN JAIL FOR “SEDITION” – DOCUMENTARY FILM NEWS COVERAGE
(October 7, 2009, Honduras Coup Alert#77)
Watch a 3-minute news piece, in English, on:  The trumped up charges of “sedition” against the jailed Agustina Flores Lopez, sister of Berta Caceres, key member of the National Front Against the Coup and leader with COPINH), and other jailed anti-coup, pro-democracy protesters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1tnw_Js8cI&feature=player_embedded
Watch a 10-minute news piece, in English:  Interview with Dr. Luther Castillo, an indigenous Garifuna doctor, and member of the National Front Against the Coup – in Washington DC on a speaking tour: http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=4296

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WHO ARE GUILTY OF SEDITION?
A Judge has found “sufficient evidence” of the crime of “sedition” against Augustina Flores Lopez (sister of Berta Caceres, key member of the National Front Against the Coup and leader with COPINH), and has ordered that Agustina remain in jail for her sedition trial.  In a previous Honduras Coup Alert (September 27, 2009, Alert#74), we quoted Agustina:
“While one of them twisted my arms behind me and put handcuffs on me, another was hitting me in the face and choking me around the neck. […] While hitting me, they were shouting: “You are the bitches of the resistance.  It is good that you get fucked over.””
ILLEGAL REGIME, GUILTY ITSELF OF “SEDITION”
USES LEGAL SYSTEM AS TOOL OF REPRESSION
On September 30, some 55 people were illegally detained at the INA (National Agrarian Institute) in Tegucigalpa, where they had been peacefully gathered.  They have had their preliminary hearings and are all being charged with … “sedition”.
Along with direct repression (killings, beatings, torture, rape, firing rubber and live bullets, tear-gas, etc), the illegal oligarchic-military regime, headed by Roberto Micheletti and General Romeo Vasquez, is also using the legal system as a tool of repression against anyone who protests in favour of the restoration of democracy and the legal-constitutional order.
Sedition is the crime of ‘incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authorities’.  It is the plotters and perpetrators of the June 28th military coup who are guilty of sedition and of rupturing the legal-constitutional order of Honduras.
The very idea of a fair trial is absurd, in the militarized state of Honduras.  Yet, Agustina – and others – are in jail on trumped up charges, processed by pro-coup Judges, with no effective legal rights.
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WHAT TO DO

AMERICANS & CANADIANS should contact our members of congress, senators & members of parliament every day, day after day, send copies of this information, and demand:
Public calls and pressure for the unconditional release of all political prisoners
Public statement of unconditional support for and public support for the return of the entire constitutional government of President Zelaya
Unequivocal demand and pressures from international community for regime to relinquish power
No recognition of the November 2009 elections, that candidates from the traditional Nationalist and Liberal parties are campaigning for, even as the country is militarized and repression is widespread
Immediate suspension of all international funds and loans to the regime, and targeted economic, military and diplomatic sanctions against the coup plotters and perpetrators
Application of international and national justice against the coup plotters and perpetrators
Reparations to the victims of harms and damages (including loss of life, torture, rape) committed by regime
MAKE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS to support Honduran organizations and people working with the National Front Against the Coup.  Make check to “rights action” and mail to:
UNITED STATES:  Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
CANADA:  552-351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS:  http://rightsaction.org/contributions.htm
For foundations and institutional donors, Rights Action can (upon request) provide a full proposal of which organizations and people we are channeling funds to and supporting.
SPEAKING TOURS: “RESISTANCE TO MILITARY COUPS & GOLD MINING DEVASTATION IN HONDURAS & GUATEMALA”
In October, activists with Rights Action will be on speaking tours in Ontario, Quebec and eastern Canada, and north-east USA, showing slides and short documentaries and speaking about the on-going pro-democracy, anti coup movement in Honduras and about indigenous and community resistance to Goldcorp Inc.’s open-pit, cyanide leach mines in Guatemala and Honduras.
Karen Spring (spring.kj@gmail.com) in Ontario
Francois Guindon (francois.guindon@gmail.com) in Quebec and eastern Canada
Grahame Russell (info@rightsaction.org) in north-east USA
Thank-you for your on-going support for our work and for this amazing struggle.

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