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Alert

Armed forces attempt to close Radio Globo

(C-Libre/IFEX) - The Armed Forces of Honduras, who were behind the 28 June 2009 coup against the country's government, have initiated actions aimed at closing the Radio Globo radio station by way of the National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL).

The attempt to close down the station was brought to light by journalist David Romero Ellner after he obtained a copy of the official request made to CONATEL by armed forces lawyer José Santos López Oviedo.

On 31 July, López Oviedo presented a request to the president of CONATEL, asking for the suspension of the radio station's frequency because it was "being used for seditious purposes via incitement to insurrection." The accusation was based on the fact that Radio Globo broadcast a message from human rights activist Andrés Pavón calling for an insurrection.

The United Nations' special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank LaRue, who was in Honduras on an unofficial visit, said that the attempt to close a radio station constitutes a serious violation of freedom of expression. He added that it not only represents a problem for the radio station and freedom of expression, but also a violation of the Honduran public's right to information.

Radio Globo administrators said that they will exhaust all legal avenues in order to continue functioning and hope that those behind the attempt to silence the station will rectify their actions.