More U.N. officials decry Honduran coup

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, July 4 (UPI) -- Four United Nations human rights experts Thursday joined U.N. leaders in voicing serious concern over last weekend's coup d'etat in Honduras.

They called for the democracy to be restored immediately and decried curbs on fundamental freedoms. The experts cited reported arrests, threats and harassment of social leaders, journalists and defenders of human rights.

The U.N. news service reported a statement from Geneva condemned "the alteration of the democratic institutional order" in Honduras. It followed a statement from both the General Assembly and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Military leaders removed President Manuel Zelaya Sunday. A referendum on changing the Honduran constitution was scheduled for a few hours later.