Crying Out for Justice for Dionisio Díaz García
Dionisio Díaz García, Honduran, Christian, known as the "lawyer of the poor" for his work defending the labor rights of impoverished workers, was assassinated on December 4, 2006. Justice has yet to be done. But your voice can make a difference.

Press Release

8 Feb. 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Association for a More Just Society (AJS)
70 Divisadero, San Francisco, CA 94117
1-800-897-1135
info@ajs-us.org
www.ajs-us.org

Court Orders Accused Murderers of Dionisio Díaz García to be Held in Custody for Duration of Their Trial

AJS Thanks Supporters around the World, Urges Continued Advocacy for Proper Trial of those Arrested and for Identification, Arrest, and Trial of Assassination's Intellectual Authors

Tegucigalpa , Honduras - According to Honduran media reports, on Tuesday, February 5, 2008, in an initial hearing a judge ordered that two men arrested last week on charges of murder against Dionisio Díaz García be held in custody for the duration of their trial. AJS urges the Honduran government to take care to ensure both that these men do not escape from prison and that they are protected against potential assassination attempts while in custody.

On January 31, 2008, Ramón Eusebio Solís Zelaya, an employee of a private security company, was arrested in the coastal city of La Ceiba charged with being a material participant in Díaz's murder. César Daniel Amador Estrada, an active-duty agent of the investigative police (DGIC) was arrested in Tegucigalpa at the same time on charges of being a co-participant in the same crime.

On the following day, February 1, police searched the offices of the private security that Mr. Solís worked for. Dionisio had represented several employees and ex-employees of this company in labor cases before his death.

Honduran, Christian lawyer Dionisio Díaz García worked for a labor rights project in Honduras that is supported by U.S. Christian nonprofit the Association for a More Just Society (AJS). He was making significant advances in labor rights cases on behalf of a dozen security guards seeking compensation for labor rights violations such as 72 – 96 hour work-weeks without overtime pay, when on December 4, 2006, he was shot to death while on his way to court by two men on a motorcycle.

Worldwide advocacy has played a key role

For several months preceding his murder he and other members of AJS's Honduran sister organization, Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa (ASJ), had been receiving threats related to labor cases on behalf of security guards. Similar threats continued throughout much of 2007. During that same time, official investigations of the assassination made little headway and were plagued by incompetence, negligence, and possibly corruption.

But a renewed surge of worldwide pressure this past December, fueled by supporters of AJS, Amnesty International, and other organizations who sent thousands of letters and emails to Honduran authorities, as well as the intervention of foreign legislators and diplomats, played a large part in motivating top-level Honduran authorities to put renewed emphasis on the case.

AJS urges Honduran authorities to identify and arrest crime's intellectual authors

AJS commends the Honduran government for making progress in this case and for apparently having corrected some of the irregularities in the management of the investigation. At the same time, AJS urges the Honduran authorities to continue proceeding energetically and according to the law in a process that is just beginning—the trial of the men arrested last week is just beginning. The Honduran government needs to ensure that the accused are both kept in custody and kept safe while in custody as this trial proceeds. The intellectual authors of the crime (those who planned it and who are assumed to have paid the hit-men for their work) must also be identified and arrested.

AJS urges supporters to keep speaking out

There is still a long way to go in order to achieve justice for Dionisio. There is still a real possibility that corruption could sneak in and spoil it all. To make sure the big step towards justice taken yesterday is followed by many more, AJS asks all those who care about this case to do the following:

• Pray: Thank God that progress is being made and ask for God's blessing on those working for more progress towards justice for Dionisio.

•  Speak Out: Write Honduran authorities to congratulate them for this achievement, and to let them know much more still needs to be done.

•  Tell Others: Tell others about Dionisio and get them to start speaking out. A great place to start is by having them watch the Dionisio Video at:

http://www.ajs-us.org/dionisio/dionisio_video.htm

or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro7ugBbxNgg

•  Donate: Donate to AJS or to other organizations advocating for justice for Dionisio.

Get help doing all of this and learn more at:

www.ajs-us.org/dionisio

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For more information, contact:

info@ajs-us.org

1-800-897-1135

www.ajs-us.org/dionisio

The Association for a More Just Society (AJS) is a U.S., Christian 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting justice in Honduras and elsewhere as well as to educating North Americans about justice issues. AJS's activities include overseeing and funding initiatives carried out by Honduran partner organization la Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa (ASJ).

Previous Press Releases:

January 31, 2008 - Alleged Hit-Men Arrested

November 2007 - Corruption, Negligence, and Incompetence in Investigation of Dionisio's Assassination

December 2006 - Lawyer of the Poor Assassinated

Honduran News Media Coverage (in Spanish):

February 1, 2008 - Alleged Hit-Men Arrested (El Heraldo)

February 2, 2008 - Security Company Offices Searched (Diario El Tiempo)

February 6, 2008 - Hit-Men Held Without Bail

Timeline

4 December 2006

Two hit-men on a motorcycle assassinate Dionisio Díaz García.

5 February 2008

In the Initial Hearing, the court rules that the accused be held in custody for the duration of the trial. Ramón Eusebio Solís Zelaya is sent to the National Prison (several kilometers outside Tegucigalpa); César Daniel Amador Estrada, because he is a police agent, is held at a police station in downtown Tegucigalpa .

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