Honduras requests UN court reprimand Brazil for hosting Zelaya

Oct 29, 2009, 18:56 GMT

The Hague - Honduras has filed an application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Brazil for giving ousted president Manuel Zelaya refuge at its embassy in Tegucigalpa, the UN- sponsored court announced on Thursday.

In the application, Honduras claims Brazil is overstepping its authority by hosting the ousted president on its embassy premises in the Honduran capital.

Brazil would enable Zelaya to 'use its premises as a platform for political propaganda and thereby threatening the peace and internal public order of Honduras,' the Central American republic said in its application, filed on Wednesday.

Honduras also claims Brazilian diplomats are effectively assisting Zelaya and his supporters to 'evade justice' in his home country and 'promote manifestly illegal activities.'

Brazil should devote itself 'exclusively to the proper functions' of an embassy rather than to 'actions constituting interference in the domestic affairs of another state,' Honduras said in its application.

Zelaya was thrown out of Honduras after being deposed on June 28, but managed to slip back into the country on September 21, taking refuge at the Brazilian embassy.

Honduras is nearing a presidential election on November 29, which was scheduled before Zelaya's ouster.

Zelaya and the international community, which does not recognize the interim government led by Roberto Micheletti, have rejected the election since it is being carried under what they see as illegitimate conditions.

The ICJ, operative since 1946, is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations, located in the Peace Palace in The Hague.

Apart from settling legal disputes submitted to by member states, the ICJ also gives advisory opinions on legal questions.