Further restrictions on civil rights
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Churchbased development organizations in Europe condemn the Honduran Coup d’Etat.
02.07.2009

Supporters of Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya sing the national anthem during a march in Tegucigalpa.
Foto: Reuters / Edgard Garrido

APRODEV, the Association of World Council of Churches related Development Organisations in Europe, Thursday strongly condemned the coup d’etat carried out by the military in Honduras on Sunday 28th of June and the following repression and violations of human rights that have taken place.

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“This situation undermines the process of democratization in the region and the peace and stability in Honduras,” it says in the statement from APRODEV directed to the European Union and its member states.

Curfew and further restrictions

In Honduras the National Congress has approved a decree to crack down on opposition during a nightly curfew imposed after the coup. The decree allows security forces to hold suspects for more than 24 hours without charge and formalizes the prohibition of the right to free association at night, writes Reuters.

Online news

Read daily online news from Honduras and the background for “a predicted coup d’etat: www.revistazo.com

Pro-Zelaya protesters clashed with security forces near the presidential palace on Monday and demonstrators applauding the coup that installed interim President Roberto Micheletti took to the streets on Tuesday. Protesters in favor of Zelaya marched again on Wednesday.

OAS ultimatum to Honduras

Supporters of Honduras' interim President, Roberto Micheletti light candles on the sidewalk during a demonstration in front of the local United Nations office in Tegucigalpa.
Foto: Reuters / Edgard Garrido

The Organization of American States (OAS) gave Honduras an ultimatum on Wednesday to allow ousted President Zelaya back into office by this weekend or face suspension.

But the Honduran interim government vowed there was “no chance at all” of ousted President Manuel Zelaya returning to office.

Enrique Ortez, interim foreign minister, said Zelaya would be arrested if he came home and that the interim authorities were sure Zelaya had been removed in a legal process.

The interim President Roberto Micheletti said to the BBC Mundo and other journalists in Tegucigalpa that his government would give a very thorough explanation to the international community for the reason why Manuel Zelaya was removed from power.

"There has been no coup d’etat, this is a constitutional matter, " Micheletti said to BBC Mundo.

World leaders from U.S. President Barack Obama to European Community Foreign Ministries and Latin American leaders have told the new rulers of the Central American country to restore Zelaya, who was toppled by the Honduran army on Sunday and sent into exile after a dispute over presidential term limits.