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.

27 Feb. 2009

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

Hit-men Convicted of Murdering "Lawyer of the Poor" Dionisio Díaz García
Ramón Solís and César Amador face up to 30 years imprisonment.

Tegucigalpa - Just before 4:00 p.m. Honduras time (5:00 p.m. EST) on Friday, February 27, 2009, judge Mario Rolando Díaz greeted a courtroom packed beyond capacity—a dozen extra chairs had been brought in, and some members of the public were standing.

Díaz briefly reviewed the evidence, then announced the verdict he and his two fellow members of the tribunal presiding over the trial had reached: Ramón Eusebio Solís, a former employee of private security company Seguridad Técnica de Honduras (SETECH) was guilty of shooting AJS Labor Rights Project lawyer Dionisio Díaz García to death on Monday, December 4, 2006; and police detective and former SETECH employee César Amador was guilty of driving the motorcycle they used to commit the murder and flee the scene of the crime.

Both face 20 to 30 years in prison.

Thanks to Our Supporters, and Above All, to God
To all of you who believed that together we could achieve justice for Dionisio, who have prayed, advocated, and encouraged during this long struggle for justice for Dionisio: thank you.

Today, we did.

More importantly, God did.

This historic event would not have been possible without God's hand in events. For example, we can only attribute it to God that Protected Witness Z, an eye-witness to the murder who unequivocally identified the men being tried as the killers, was filled with the courage to testify in a trial that put him at risk and that promised him no personal gain. We see God’s hand in the fact that the killers, with unbelievable recklessness, wore no masks or helmets while committing the crime, enabling their clear identification.

We see God’s hand in the bizarre delay of the trial due to a judge’s allergic reaction to a wasp sting. The trial, which began on Weds., Feb. 18, was set to end on Mon., Feb. 23, but due to the judge’s unexpected health emergency, the final hearing was pushed back to Friday the 27^th. The extra time allowed the prosecution to further hone their final arguments, and provided more time for AJS-supported justice workers to alert friends, dignitaries, and members of the media who packed out the courtroom when the final hearing was finally held.

AJS-supported justice workers could not have done so much to achieve this victory without the strength God has given all of us during the nearly 27 months since Dionisio was killed.

An Important Step, But Still a Long Journey Ahead
We are overjoyed at the result of this trial. Not only has justice been done for Dionisio, but a precedent has been set for Honduras: using violence against those who "encourage the oppressed and defend the orphan and the widow" (Isaiah 1:17) may no longer seem as viable alternative to the agents of oppression as it once did.

But there is still more to be done.

Ramón Solís and César Amador were simply acting out the will of other, more powerful people who preferred to farm out their "dirty work." These "intellectual authors" of the murder must also be brought to justice in order to fully do justice for Dionisio, and to show Honduras that paying others to kill will be no more tolerated than murdering people oneself.

Prayers for Justice, Safety, and for Redemption
As we embark on the next stage of this journey, we ask that lovers of justice around the world  would pray that God will bring the intellectual authors of this crime to justice. We covet prayers for continued protection of AJS-supported justice workers. And we hope that those who have accompanied us throughout this struggle will also pray that God will shine his light into the dark hearts of the killers, and into the lives of their families who, due to the killers' incarceration, are being deprived, as Dionisio's widow Lourdes and son Mauricio have been, of the daily presence of husbands and fathers.

Continued Need for Advocacy
This conviction is huge. But it's just the first step. Please help us achieve justice in regards to the intellectual authors of Dionisio's murder too!

• Pray: For safety for Honduran justice officials and AJS-supported justice workers; for the intellectual authors to be brought to justice; for God to work in the hearts of both the intellectual and material authors of the murder; for God to continue to provide for Dionisio's widow, Lourdes, and son, Mauricio.

• Speak Out: Contact diplomats, legislators, and other authorities. Visit www.ajs-us.org/dionisio/write_officials.htm for help doing so.

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

• Donate: Help AJS protect justice workers from harm, advocate for justice for Dionisio, provide for the education of Dionisio’s 8-year-old son, and more. Visit www.ajs-us.org/dionisio/donate.htm

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 and to helping North Americans follow God's call to Do Justice. AJS's activities include overseeing and funding justice initiatives carried out in Honduras by our sister organization la Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa (ASJ).

Previous Press Releases:

February 12, 2009 - Trial Against Alleged Hit-Men Begins February 18

September 8, 2008 - Prosecution Scores Victory in Pre-Trial Evidentiary Hearing

February 8, 2008 - Alleged Hit-Men Held in Prison Without Bail

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):

March 1, 2009 - Lawyer's Alleged Killers Found Guilty (Diario El Tiempo)

February 28, 2009 - Hit-Men Face 30 Years in Prison (La Tribuna)

February 27, 2009 - Dionisio's Killers Found Guilty (El Heraldo)

February 26, 2009 - Judge Recovered After Wasp Sting (Diario El Tiempo)

February 25, 2009 - Judge Stung by Wasp; Wasp Nests Destroyed (Diario El Tiempo)

February 24, 2009 - Verdict Expected This Friday (El Heraldo)

February 20, 2009 - Dionisio's Assassination Reconstructed (Diario El Tiempo)

February 18, 2009 - Dionisio's Trial Begins Today (El Heraldo)

February 17, 2009 - Dionisio's Trial Begins Tomorrow (El Heraldo)

February 6, 2008 - Hit-Men Held Without Bail (El Herald)

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

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

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 .

8 September 2008

At the pre-trial evidentiary hearing, the prosecutor presents an impressive battery of evidence against the alleged hit-men. All of this evidence is accepted for presentation at the upcoming trial.

18 February 2009

The trial proper against the accused assassins begins.

27 February 2009

Ramón Solís is convicted for shooting Dionisio to death; César Amador is convicted for driving the motorcycle used to commit the crime and flee the scene. Both face sentences of 20 - 30 years imprisonment.

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