PIO/PR/04/02-2018
PRESS RELEASE
MINUJUSTH welcomes the assignment of investigating judges in the PetroCaribe caseand calls on the authorities to do the same for Lilavois and Grand Ravine
Port-au-Prince, 25 February 2018 - As part of its mandate to support the Haitian government in strengthening the country’s rule of law institutions, to continue developing the capacity of the Haitian National Police and Correctional units, and to follow, analyze and report on the human rights situation in the country, the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH) welcomes the assignment of investigating judges to pursue the PetroCaribe court cases filed by private citizens at the Port-au-Prince Court of First Instance on 29 January and 20 February 2018, respectively. According to a recently published Transparency International report, Haiti is ranked as the most corrupt country in the Caribbean region and 23rd worst (157) out of 180 countries surveyed on their perceptions of corruption in the country.
“I welcome the initiative and the active role of Haitian citizens and civil society who are engaged in the fight against corruption and impunity. Their actions demonstrate that the population is standing up for accountability and justice,” said the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of MINUJUSTH, Susan D. Page.
The Mission regrets, however, that no investigating judge has been assigned to examine allegations of human rights violations by units of the Haitian National Police (HNP) in Lilavois on 12 October 2017, during which at least one individual was killed, and in Grand Ravine on 13 November 2017, where eight civilians were allegedly summarily executed, in addition to the two HNP officers who were killed. “I call on the relevant authorities to proceed without further delay to assign investigating judges in these two cases, as provided for by the law, said SRSG Page.
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Media contact
Sophie Boutaud de la Combe
Chief Strategic Communication and Public Information - Spokesperson
Mission des Nations Unies pour l’appui à la Justice en Haiti (MINUJUSTH)
United Nations Mission for Justice support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH)
Tel: +509 22 29 67 00 ; ext: 2691/7115
Cell: +509 37 02 90 42
Email: boutauddelacombes@un.org
Twitter: @SBDLC @MINUJUSTH
Website: http://minujusth.unmissions.org/