Honduran Court Convicts Former Battalion 3-16 Member for Murder of Activist

In a rare legal victory for those fighting impunity for human rights abusers in Honduras, an appellate court convicted a former military officer and member of the notorious intelligence Battalion 3-16 for the murder of a leftist activist in the 1980s. The Appellate Court of San Pedro Sula overturned a March 2004 acquittal and sentenced retired Capt. Marco Tulio Regalado to 12 years in prison for the murder of Herminio Deras. In 1983 Deras was shot in the head after being detained by soldiers. Regalado is the brother of the former head of the Honduran Armed Forces, Humberto Regalado Hernandez. [La Tribuna (Honduras), 6/16/05] For background information, read MISF's „The Quest for Justice: Efforts to Prosecute Honduran Human Rights Abusers.‰