Assassination attempt against Jlo Córdoba

On 27 October 2016, LGBTI rights defender Jlo Córdoba was shot at repeatedly by an unknown man in Comayagüela.

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On 27 October 2016, Jlo Córdoba was standing on the street with colleagues, in proximity to the Asociación Arcoiris office in Comayagüela, a man suddenly approached them, drew a gun and pointed it directly at Jlo Córdoba. The attacker attempted to shoot her point blank, but the gun jammed, giving the human rights defender time to run away, before the attacker repeatedly fired in her direction. Eye witnesses allege that when the police arrived on the scene, officers picked up the bullet shells from the ground and left, without approaching or assisting Jlo Córdoba’s colleagues who were still on the scene. This is not the first time that Jlo Córdoba has been the target of an assassination attempt. On 29 March 2016 an unidentified man approached the human rights defender and fired at her twice, injuring Jlo Córdoba. She had to be hospitalised but made a full recovery. In retaliation to her human rights work advocating for the LGBTI community in Honduras, she has also been subjected to harassment, intimidation and threats.

Front Line Defenders remains deeply concerned by the worsening climate of repression and attacks against human rights defenders in Honduras, including the assassination of several leaders of Honduran civil society in 2016, such as Berta Cáceres, José Ángel Flores and René Martínez. On 19 August 2016, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) jointly condemned the killing of defenders in Honduras, dubbing it "one of the most dangerous countries for human rights defenders."

Front Line Defenders strongly condemns the assassination attempts made against Jlo Córdoba as it considers the attacks to be in retaliation to her peaceful work in defence of human rights.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Honduras to:

1. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the assassination attempts against  Jlo Córdoba, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;

2. Ensure that the human rights work of Jlo Córdoba is considered as a line of inquiry in the investigation for the attacks suffered by the defender;

3. Take all necessary measures, in consultation with the defender, to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Jlo Córdoba as well as of the members of her family, ensuring that the protective measures acknowledge and respond to the specific needs of the woman human rights defender;

4. Provide the necessary psycho-social support to  Jlo Córdoba, in consultation with the woman human rights defender;

5. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Honduras are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions, including judicial harassment.