New York - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday that Honduras' harassment of Brazilian embassy staff in Tegucigalpa, where ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has taken refuge, is against international law. "Threats on the embassy of Brazil are unacceptable," Ban said in reaction to increased tensions in Honduras after the government there declared a state of emergency.
"International law is clear: Sovereign immunity cannot be violated," he said. "Threats to the embassy staff and premises are intolerable. The UN Security Council has condemned such acts of intimidation. I do as well, in the strongest terms."
Ban called for Zelaya's safety and for dialogue to resolve the crisis in Tegucigalpa that erupted after Zelaya returned there with the help of Brazil. Zelaya was ousted in a military coup in June and has been asking the UN for protection.
