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Honduras leader urges Brazil embassy to hand over Zelaya under arrest warrant

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The head of the Honduran interim government Roberto Micheletti on Tuesday called on Brazil to deliver deposed president Manuel Zelaya under an arrest warrant issued by the Honduran Supreme Court in June. Zelaya has taken refuge at the Brazilian Embassy since returning to Honduras Monday. The charges pending against Zelaya include crimes against the form of government, treason, abuse of authority, and usurping governmental powers to the detriment of the public administration and the State of Honduras. Honduran authorities have announced that the curfew in place since 4:00PM Monday was lifted for a few hours Tuesday and Wednesday and will be lifted on Thursday morning. Despite the curfew, there has been widespread social unrest in the streets and there have been more than 100 arrests of suspected Zelaya supporters, as well as one death. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said Wednesday that "current conditions are not conducive to the holding of credible polls" scheduled for November, as he justified temporary suspension of assistance to the Honduran Supreme Electorate Court (TSE). Amnesty International warned that "fundamental rights and the rule of law in are in grave danger." Negotiations between Zelaya and Micheletti took place intermittently through Costa Rican President Oscar Arias until they were broken off in August by Micheletti, and the Supreme Court of Honduras unconditionally refused to accept Zelaya's return to power regardless of terms. Zelaya also made several failed attempts to return to office, including attempting to fly into the country accompanied by international leaders. Also in August, the Supreme Court warned that if Zelaya returned to the country, he would have to face the charges against him, while Micheletti announced that Honduras would go ahead with plans to hold elections. Zelaya was ousted on June 28 following a judicial order asserting that he had broken Honduran law by attempting to conduct a controversial referendum on constitutional reform contrary to a Honduran Supreme Court ruling.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on September 24, 2009 (boomark / email).