President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a bloodless coup in June . `` Detention and ill treatment of protesters are being employed as a form of punishment for those openly opposing the de facto government and also as a deterrent for those contemplating taking to the streets to peacefully show their discontent with the political turmoil the country is experiencing , '' said Esther Major , Amnesty 's Central America researcher . The U.S. has been critical of the Honduran government for its handling of the crisis and said it would consider sanctions against those responsible if they don't respect human rights. Multiple requests to the government for comment went unanswered .
President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a bloodless coup in June . The U.S. has been critical of the Honduran government for its handling of the crisis and said it would consider sanctions against those responsible if they don't respect human rights. Multiple requests to the government for comment went unanswered .