United Nations human rights experts urged the government of Honduras to take action to protect journalists working in the Central American country following the murder of six of them in the last month and a half.

It was learned that Frank La Rue, Philip Alston and Margaret Sekaggya, special rapporteurs on promotion and protection of freedom of expression, summary, unlawful and arbitrary executions and the defense of human rights, called on the Honduran government to take the necessary steps to have crimes investigated and ensure the physical and psychological wellbeing of journalists.

In their statement, distributed at UN headquarters in New York, the rapporteurs mentioned the cases of journalists José Bayardo Mairena Ramírez, Manuel Juárez, Nahun Palacios Arteaga, David Meza Montesinos, Joseph Hernandez Ochoa, Luis Antonio Chévez Hernández and Jorge Orellana.

All were killed while exercising their legitimate right to freedom of opinion and of expression, the statement declared.

The UN experts warned that the international community will be closely monitoring the government’s actions in this tragic situation.

Several Honduran civil organizations have complained of an increasing lack of security, systematic violation of human rights and a militarization noted during the first 100 days in office of the current government.