Amidst final exams and end-of-year projects, young people across the country spent hours writing letters and sending emails on behalf of Honduran journalist, Carlos Ávila. On November 2nd, the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the RFK Human Rights’ Civic Space Case Tracker launched Pens for Press 2024, a youth letter-writing campaign to secure justice for criminalized journalists. Student groups set up tables sprawled with scrap paper and pens and urged their peers to write to the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court, urging the body to grant Ávila amnesty. Sitting alongside both friends and strangers, participants found community in a common purpose: ensuring the safety of journalists who risk their lives to expose the truth. 

Pens for Press was launched in honor of Carlos Ávila, a high school teacher and journalist who dedicated his life to educating and reporting. In 2007, he uncovered that a teacher at the José Cecilio del Valle Institute, a high school, sexually harassed four underage students, causing them profound psychological and physical damage. Ávila reported on complaints filed by four students, highlighting the inaction of the Public Ministry and ensuring these students’ stories were heard.  

In retaliation, the accused professor sued Ávila for defamation, weaponizing the courts to silence him. For over 17 years, Ávila has faced judicial harassment threatening his reputation, safety, and livelihood. Despite him presenting overwhelming evidence and testimonies documenting the Professor’s abuse, various courts failed to consider these findings. Instead, Ávila was sentenced to four years in prison in 2015, while the Professor leveraged his political power to evade accountability. After his appeal was denied in 2020, his fight continued. In April 2022, the NGO C-Libre (Comité por la libre expresión/Committee for Free Expression) filed for amnesty on behalf of Ávila; however, judicial delay and the judge’s demand for his physical presence at hearings put him at risk for unjust arrest. Forced into hiding to protect his life, Ávila awaits justice as his case stagnates in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court, where it’s been stuck since January 2023.

Joining Ávila in his struggle, students at 10 schools participated in Pens for Press: Harvard, Yale, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, South Forsyth High School, Cornell, University of Michigan, University of Southern California, Northeastern, and DePaul University. Three John Lewis Young Leaders, Jonathan Lam, Connor Marrot, and Khris Gonzalez Pebe, mobilized their communities around the campaign by planning events and widely sharing information throughout their communities. Pens for Press is expected to generate upwards of 400 actions between letters and emails sent to the Court. 

This campaign exemplifies the Civic Space Case Tracker’s innovative potential to support local advocacy and litigation. The platform not only highlights emblematic judicial cases concerning freedom of expression, association, and assembly but also mobilizes diverse technical support to drive positive case outcomes. On behalf of Ávila, the Tracker brought Pens for Press to life, driving mass action as legal proceedings continue — C-Libre recently made a request for the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court to resolve the case.

Pens for Press is a testament to the strength of youth advocacy. Across the world, young people are proving that their collective voices can forcefully challenge the status quo. This is just the beginning; with each letter and email, students are demonstrating their commitment to solidarity with criminalized journalists across the globe. 

Their actions embody an impactful message — impunity and inaction will not be tolerated. 

It is not too late for you to get involved in Pens for Press. Send an email to the Honduran Supreme Court with the click of a button on our Civic Space Case Tracker.