Honduran prosecutors investigating two protest deaths (Extra)

Jul 6, 2009, 20:13 GMT

Tegucigalpa - The Honduran public prosecutor's office on Monday launched a probe into possible violations of the law in the deaths of two people during a demonstration on Sunday to demand the return of ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

Honduran Human Rights prosecutor Sandra Ponce said her department would investigate 'the proportionality and rationality of the use of force' on the part of the police and the military as they tried to contain Zelaya's supporters.

Tens of thousands of people surged to the Toncontin airport in Tegucigalpa to await Zelaya's arrival after it had been cordoned off by police and military officers.

The demonstrators pushed the armed forces back, and when Zelaya's plane was in Honduran airspace his supporters wrangled with the authorities. Gunshots were heard, two people died and 11 were injured.

The army occupied the landing strip to prevent Zelaya and Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza from landing. Their plane and another plane carrying three other Latin American presidents were forced to land in neighbouring El Salvador.

Ponce said forensic experts would seek to establish what kind of bullets were used against demonstrators. But Honduran Human Rights Commissioner Ramon Custodio Lopez said that may be difficult, as the bullets tore through the bodies and police have not found the bullet shells.