"Honduran justice unjustifiably delays sentencing of convicted criminal David Castillo", 18 May 2022

...The Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organisations of Honduras, COPINH, in view of the new postponement of the Sentencing Hearing in the case against the convicted Roberto David Castillo Mejía for the murder of comrade Berta Cáceres, makes the following known to national and international public opinion:

1. The First Chamber of the Sentencing Court with National Jurisdiction in Criminal Matters, composed of judges Jocelyn Marie Donaire, Esther Carolina Flores and José Anaim Orellana Espinoza, unjustifiably suspended the hearing for the third time, arguing that they are still in the process of drafting the sentence. This is more than 11 months of delay.
2. This unjustified delay is a violation of the rights to access to justice and truth, and constitutes an affront to the dignity of the victims.
3. The Honduran justice system continues to be inoperative in the face of the needs of the Lenca indigenous people. It needs to be immediately refounded and the operators who have promoted its inoperability must be brought to justice.
4. The promises of the government of President Xiomara Castro must start to become reality and stop being symbolic campaign speeches.

In view of the above, COPINH demands that:

1. The Sentencing Court in charge of the case should issue the sentence without further delay, taking into account the aggravating circumstances in order to establish an exemplary punishment.
2. The State of Honduras as a whole must immediately move forward with concrete actions to obtain justice for Berta Cáceres and the Lenca people...

(Translated by the BHRRC)