UN Denounces Police Violence in Anti-Government Protests in Honduras

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, or OHCHR, in Honduras has expressed concern over the recent escalation in repressive violence used by police against protesters following the controversial re-election of Juan Orlando Hernandez as President.  

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Over 200 people were injured during Friday's protests in the capital city of  Tegucigalpa against Hernandez's re-election. OHCHR issued a communiqué on Sunday repudiating the excessive use of force by the security forces. 

"OHCHR expresses its concern about the widespread and indiscriminate use of tear gas that occurred on January 12, which has affected demonstrators who protested peacefully, as well as residents," the document read. 

OHCHR urged the right-wing Honduran government to initiate dialogue between the security forces and the demonstrators, in order to prevent the use of violence to disperse the crowd. 

The Friday protests were initiated by the Alliance of Opposition against the Dictatorship, who maintains that the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) committed a fraud when proclaiming Hernandez as the winner of the Nov. 26 contest.

Salvador Nasralla had proclaimed himself as winner, and had been campaigning against 'irregularities' ahead of the TSE's proclaiming of Hernandez as the official winner on Dec. 18.

During the protests, some agents of the security forces pelted stones on the protesters, severely injuring protesters in the process. Some journalists suffered physical attacks while covering the demonstrations.