Human Rights Press Release Translation

Republic of Honduras, C.A.
National Commissioner for Human Rights
RELEASE

Between 10:30 and 11:00 p.m. last night a fire of unknown cause arose in Granja Penal (the criminal farm) of Comayagua, which consumed five out of ten homes in a single block; the other homes are in front of three steps and did not suffer any damage.

This criminal farm has an installed capacity for only 250 inmates, but hosts 852 inmates; of them 475 responded present at roll call, 356 did not respond, 9 are in the Hospital school and 12 in the Hospital Santa Teresa of Comayagua. No one has been able to locate a person who was visiting the peneteniary.

Personnel of CONADEH present on the scene, report that most of the inmates are in the rear area of their homes where the bathrooms are. A few were killed when they tried to leave through the front.

At the moment, the crime scene has been guarded.

The lifting of the cadavers has begun, and it will take some time complete to have the exact number of deceased.

After the Commissioner Héctor Iván Mejía is finished, he will read accounts of the list of people who responded to review an incident in which relatives of inmates threw stones through gates into the prison. Members not yet identified as prison security fired their guns, they stopped the improper action by order of the Secretary of Security present there. Security personnel gave adequate protection to the staff of the CONADEH who were found working without interruption since last night at 11:40 pm

Present also are staff of the Public Prosecutor, the Ministry of Security, Ministry of Defense, Forensic Medicine, and the Sentence Execution Judge of Comayagua.

The CONADEH spoke with Mr. Ernesto Cálix, President of the CIMEQH and Deputy Regional Manager of the ENEE in the Central region, who advises the Committee on Energy helping in the
pending investigation.

The physical inspection by staff of the CONADEH established that all those being attended in the Hospital school are injured by burns and they have not encountered at the moment anyone wounded by firearm.

Tegucigalpa, M.D.C.,  February 15, 2012

Dr. Ramon Custodio Lopez

National Commissioner for Human Rights


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