[JURIST] Four men were arrested Monday in connection with the murder of Berta Cáceres, the founder of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations Honduras (COPINH) [advocacy website, in Spanish] and a prominent defender of indigenous rights and the environment. The men were arrested [NYT report] in raids as part of the “Jaguar” operation [NPR report]. UN rights experts had called [JURIST report] last month for Honduras to provide justice for Cáceres, as well as broad protection for everyone defending human rights and the environment. Cáceres was killed at the beginning of March.

The experts welcomed the arrest of a suspect in the murder of another COPINH leader, Nelson García, which occurred less than two weeks after the murder of Cáceres. After the death of García, UN experts called for the protection of human rights defenders [JURIST report]. However, Honduras has been experiencing unrest throughout the country for some time now. Last November a UN human rights expert urged [JURIST report] Honduras to address internal displacement caused by organized gang violence and a failing criminal justice system. UN human rights expert Victoria Tauli-Corpuz expressed concern [JURIST report] about the situation faced by the indigenous people of Honduras, specifically in connection with their land and natural resource rights, their lack of access to justice, education and health, and the general environment of violence and impunity affecting their communities. In October Honduran Congressional Vice President Lena Gutierrez began her trial [JURIST report] for her role in the nation’s recent medical sale scandal. The charges include falsification of public documents and fraud against the government by drug sales to the Ministry of Health. In June 2015 thousands of protesters marched [JURIST report] in Honduras on calling for the resignation of President Juan Hernandez and demanding an independent investigation into his role in an ongoing corruption scandal.