2021 UN experts call for release of 8 environmental defenders

In November 2021, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders called on the Honduran authorities to release the eight environmental defenders of Guapinol. The Special Rapporteur reminded the Honduran government that Honduras had recently joined the UN Human Rights Council and as such “Honduras should be redoubling efforts to clean up its human rights record, and an obvious first step is to release the Guapinol defenders”. Her call was backed by other UN experts, including Pedro Arrojo Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation; David R. Boyd, Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment; and Elina Steinerte, Miriam Estrada-Castillo, Leigh Toomey, Mumba Malila and Priya Gopalan of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.