Israeli lawyer demands Israel halts arms sales to Honduras

A group of Israeli activists is demanding that Israel halt arms exports to Honduras amid violent protests there following disputed elections.

A group representative, lawyer Eitay Mack, sent a letter to Israel’s Defense Ministry asking that it freeze or annul the arms sales over accusations of human rights abuses committed by Honduran security forces. The letter, sent last week and obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday, comes after weeks of protests following Honduras’ November 26 election, in which at least 14 people have been killed.

Israel typically keeps its arms exports classified and Israel’s Defense Ministry had no immediate comment. Honduras disclosed details of a $209 million arms deal last year that includes communications equipment and surveillance drones for the army and cyber security systems for Honduras’ intelligence service.

Military police clear a barricade set up overnight by protesters supporting opposition presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Monday Dec. 18, 2017. (AP Photo/Fernando Antonio)

— AP