Congress grants amnesty to Honduran interim leader, others involved in coup

TEGUCIGALPA, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Honduran Congress has approved a decree to grant amnesty to those involved in last June's military coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya, local media reported Friday.

The decree, approved on Wednesday night, will ensure the safety of post-coup leader Roberto Micheletti as well as that of his family.

Seventeen ministers and vice ministers of the de facto government, the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, Jorge Aviles, and General Prosecutor Luis Rubi will also be amnestied.

The amnesty issue has aroused controversy among different sectors of Honduran society. Some believe this is the only solution to the country's political crisis, which was triggered by the coup. Others reject it on the grounds that it will enable those who committed crimes to go unpunished.

Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Jose Miguel Insulza, said the OAS would do everything possible so that Honduras could return to this organization.

"Everybody would have liked the de facto government to have left the power earlier and to have solved the problem of Zelaya," Insulza said.

"From Jan. 28, we are going to start the procedures. We will reestablish contact with the new government, and we will seek help to solve the problems in the best way, to ensure the return of the democracy to Honduras," Insulza added.

After Zelaya was ousted, the National Congress appointed Micheletti as interim president of Honduras. The decision was strongly condemned by the international community, which had been demanding Zelaya's restoration to power.