[JURIST] Honduran Interim Deputy Foreign Minister Martha Alvarado said Monday that she expects a biased report from the international panel that arrived Monday to investigate alleged human rights abuses. A delegation from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH), which is part of the Organization of American States (OAS) [official website], arrived in the Honduran capital of Tegucigulpa Monday to assess the human rights situation in the wake of the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya [BBC profile; JURIST news archive]. Alvarado said at a news conference [La Prensa report, in Spanish] that she is skeptical of the panel's report because the OAS has already called the ouster a coup and called for Zelaya's reinstatement, expelling Honduras last month. The OAS delegates met with a Honduran human rights group, but refused [Diario Tiempo report, in Spanish] to meet with members of the interim government, led by Roberto Micheletti. Also Monday, delegates from the interim government went to Washington, DC, to continue talks with the OAS [CCTV report].

Last week, the Honduran Office of the Prosecutor of Common Crimes indicted 24 Zelaya supporters [JURIST report] on charges of sedition and damaging public property. All 24 were accused of robbery, sedition, damages to private property, and illegal demonstrations stemming from recent protests. Zelaya was ousted [JURIST report] on June 28 following a judicial order [press release] asserting he had broken Honduran law by attempting to conduct a controversial referendum on constitutional reform contrary to a Honduran Supreme Court ruling. The US has condemned [DOS briefing transcript] Zelaya's removal and supports his return.