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OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION DEPLORES ATTACKS AGAINST HAITIAN PRESS

Washington, D.C., Oct. 5, 2005. The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), deplores the recent attacks against the exercise of the right to freedom of expression in Haiti, as well as the aggressions and acts of intimidation against journalists and the media in the country.
The Rapporteurship has been informed that on October 3, security guards of President Boniface Alexandre attacked Reuters correspondent Joseph Guyler Delva and Radio Metropole reporter Jean Wilkens Merone, while they were covering a ceremony marking the beginning of the judicial year. Both journalists reported serious injuries after being dragged inside the courthouse and then severely beaten.
During the last months the Office has also become aware of other attacks against journalists. On September 9, journalists Jean Ristil and Kevin Pina were arrested while monitoring a search warrant at Rev. Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste's church in the Delmas district. On July 10, journalist Jacques Roche was kidnapped and subsequently tortured and murdered by his assailants. On April 7, reporter Robenson Laraque died from injuries suffered while observing a clash between UN troops and members of the disbanded Haitian military in the city of Petit-Goâve. On January 14, radio reporter Abdias Jean was murdered while covering a police operation and raid in the Village de Dieu sector of Port-au-Prince.
In a press communiqué released on July 22, 2005, the IACHR expressed its concern and condemned the attacks and acts of intimidation perpetrated against journalists and human rights defenders, calling on the state to effectively ensure the right to life, the right to humane treatment and the right to freedom of expression enshrined in the American Convention. The Special Rapporteur, Eduardo Bertoni, reiterated that the murder of journalists and threats against them are the most brutal means of restricting freedom of expression. As stated in Principle 9 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression, “The murder, kidnapping, intimidation of and/or threats to social communicators, as well as the material destruction of communications media, violate the fundamental rights of individuals and strongly restrict freedom of expression.”
The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression will continue to follow the situation in Haiti, and will inform the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on this issue during the next period of sessions in October 2005.
For more information on the Office of the Special Rapporteur, see its website: http://www.cidh.org/relatoria

Reference: E-PREN/05