Daughter of Berta Cáceres sees more harassment against environmentalists 2:31
(CNN Spanish) -
The Honduran justice found Roberto Castillo Mejía, a former executive of the hydroelectric company Desarrollos Energéticos Sociedad Anónima (DESA) guilty, as a co-author of the murder of environmentalist Berta Cáceres in 2016, the Judiciary reported.
The former executive, unanimously found guilty by Chamber I of the National Sentencing Court, had been arrested in 2018.
In a statement, the Public Ministry explained that after two months of analysis of evidence, which included the extraction of information from cell phones, it was possible to determine Castillo's responsibility in the murder of the environmentalist, which occurred in March 2016 in the sector. La Esperanza, Intibucá.
A member of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations lights a candle after the court's decision to convict Castillo as the co-author of the murder of Berta Cáceres.
(Credit: Orlando Sierra / AFP / Getty Images)
Castillo Mejía was a senior executive at the Desarrollos Energéticos Sociedad Anónima hydroelectric plant and had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
This is what Berta Cáceres's daughter says after Castillo's capture (2018) 8:31
DESA has also rejected the allegations about the relationship of members of the company with the murder of the environmentalist.
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For its part, the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) celebrated the ruling and described it as a victory for the organization and for the family of Berta Cáceres.
The hearing on Monday was attended by Cáceres's daughter and Castillo Mejía's mother.
Members of the Military Police of Public Order escort Roberto Castillo upon his arrival at a court in Tegucigalpa on July 5, 2021. (Credit: Orlando Sierra / AFP / Getty Images)
On August 3, the hearing to hear the sentence is scheduled.
In November 2018 another 7 people had been found guilty in the death of the activist.
Berta Cáceres