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

14 Nov. 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Association for a More Just Society (AJS)
1-800-897-1135
info@ajs-us.org
www.ajs-us.org

One Year after “Lawyer of the Poor” Gunned Down, Groups across the Country and Around the World Renew the Cry for Justice

The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. —Proverbs 29:7

You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more. —Psalm 10:17-18

Honduran human rights lawyer Dionisio Díaz García was shot to death by two hit men while he was stopped in traffic on his way to court on the morning of Monday, December 4, 2006. The murder appears to have been motivated by his efforts to defend the labor rights of impoverished workers in Honduras .

But while thousands of individuals around the world, big-name organizations like Amnesty International, and officials and diplomats from a half-dozen countries in Europe and North America have raised their voices to demand justice, thus far the Honduran Government's reaction has been marked by corruption, negligence, and incompetence.

In response, a series of events has been planned for the week surrounding the anniversary of Dionisio's murder (December 2 – 8), to commemorate his life and renew the outcry for justice in response to his death. The events being planned include a memorial service in the National Cathedral in Tegucigalpa , Honduras , and letter writing campaigns, prayer vigils, and meetings with Honduran diplomats around the world.

Mr. Díaz worked for a labor rights project supported by U.S. Christian nonprofit the Association for a More Just Society (AJS). Because his work involved providing free legal representation to impoverished security guards and other workers, and because of his humble background and character, he was known to many as “the lawyer of the poor.”

In the months leading up to the assassination of Mr. Díaz, he and other staff of AJS's Honduran partner organization, la Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa, received a series of threats and are thought to have been kept under surveillance by private investigators. But while these threats were reported to the Honduran Human Rights Commissioner, the response of the Honduran Government was minimal.

Unfortunately, the year since Mr. Díaz's assassination has also been marked by high levels of corruption, negligence, and incompetence on the part of the Honduran Government—and by continued threats against AJS-supported justice workers.

A prosecutor failed to take the pre-testimony of a key witness. That is negligence enough. But that witness's tragic death means that his eyewitness account will never be heard. Unexplained disappearances of official documents, exaggerated delays, and the failure to perform routine actions are just some of the other problems permitted and caused by the Honduran Government and which have undermined the investigation of Mr. Díaz's assassination.

The mismanagement of this case stands out all the more compared with the efficiency with which the Honduran government has processed a half-dozen attacks initiated through the court system against AJS-supported justice workers and AJS's Honduran partner organization by a private security company whose employees were among those Mr. Díaz helped.

In the face of ongoing injustice, AJS is extending an open invitation to all believers in justice and human rights around the world to join their voices to the cry for justice.

Specifically, AJS invites supporters and allies to take the following actions:

• Write your representatives / senators / members of parliament, and request that these elected officials contact your country's ambassador to Honduras and the Honduran ambassador to your country about this case.
• Write—or arrange meetings with—Honduran diplomats in your own country.
• Organize prayer vigils, house parties, campus meetings, etc. to tell others about Dionisio and take action, for example by writing letters to officials.
• Pray for justice for Dionisio.
• Donate to help support Dionisio's family, to help continue his work, and to help keep other AJS-supported justice workers protected against ongoing threats.
• Be creative! Think of other ways to promote justice for Dionisio.

If possible, AJS encourages supporters to schedule these actions for the week of “Crying Out for Justice for Dionisio,” December 2 – 8.

AJS hopes that these advocacy events will put more pressure on the Honduran Government to increase the priority, quality, and seriousness of the investigations it is currently carrying out regarding Dionisio's murder, resulting in the identification, arrest, trial, prosecution, and punishment of the material and intellectual authors of Dionisio's assassination—and in an important victory for justice in Honduras.

AJS encourages all who are interested to visit http://www.ajs-us.org/dionisio , where they will find more information and links to advocacy opportunities.

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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).

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The Association for a More Just Society (AJS) oversees and funds initiatives carried out by Honduran partner organization la Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa (ASJ). AJS is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so all donations to AJS are tax-deductible for US taxpayers.