Human Rights - Haiti Observer Blog

Every century is graced by certain men who have helped to write the course of many countries, including their own. At the turn of the 20th Century, in 1904 to be exact, Haiti gave birth to just one of its contributions to that circle.

When Emile Saint-Lot first caught the fever to defend his country, he was all but a boy, witnessing first-hand the military invasion by the US, which occupied Haiti between 1915 and 1937. He would go on to study and practice journalism and to teach law, finally becoming a senator and civil court chief justice. His election as senator of the West on the 19th of June, 1946 came a year after his taking the role of Haiti's first United Nations Ambassador. He also served as a Security Council member, with the task of voting on whole nations' independence. He would cast this powerful vote for countries like Libya (about whose independence he presented an impassioned speech to the UN in 1957), Somalia and Israel.

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Independent Expert on Haiti's Situation of Human Rights, Michel Forst of United Nations has resigned. This announcement was confirmed MINUSTAH's spokesperson. MINUSTAH is a peacekeeping mission working in Haiti. The spokesperson confirmed this announcement to the Caribbean Journal. He said UN Human Right Council's recent session held during the 3rd week of March, 2013 that Forst's resignation was completely on personal grounds and that Forst served Haiti as independent expert on Human Rights for 6 years since 2008.

In his final address to Human Rights Council, Forst, a native of France, said that he was really disappointed in Haiti's Rule of Law as well as human rights. He strongly disapproved a few aspects that included:
• Magistrate nomination for partisan or political ends.
• Arbitrary arrests.
• Extended pretrial detention.
• Threats given to journalists.

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Electoral crisis has plagued Haiti recently and President Michel Martelly was held responsible for this crisis by the Human Rights Organization during a joint press conference held 6th March 2013. President Martelly was condemned of Supreme Council of the Judiciary for manipulating the Chief Justice, Alexis Joseph. This denouncement came from heads of organizations like National Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace, National Network for the Defense of Human Rights and Platform for Haitian Human Rights.

Chief Justice Joseph did prove that he was manipulated by the Martelly administration but his legitimacy is questioned because of his age. The Human Rights Organization asked the President to cancel the August 15, 2012 decree that appointed the electoral council's 6 members as it was against Haitian Constitution that required 9 members.

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This is one for Haiti history book, former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier appeared in a Haitian court for the first time Thursday (February 28, 2013) to answer charges of human rights abuses during his brutal lasting over 15 years (1971-1986).

Te courtroom holding that historic event in Port-au-Prince was packed. One could remark the presence of several journalists, activists, supporters of the Duvalier regimes, as well as representatives from several embassies.

This was also the first time the victims were facing Jean Claude Duvalier, the one they directly accused of being the perpetrator of all these crimes. Alix Fils-Aime and Robert Duval, two of the most vocal victims of Duvalier Crimes were present at the court hearing. It was the first time for them to see Jean Claude Duvalier answer direct questions about the widespread abuses associated with his dictatorial government.

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The former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier did not play his cards well with the head of the court of appeals, magistrate Jean Joseph Lebrun. He defied the judge order to appear in court on Thursday to face charges of corruption and human-rights violations during his 15-year rule and did not show up, sending his attorney instead, Reynold Georges. However, the judge who was not happy about that on Thursday summoned Jean-Claude Duvalier to appear in court.

Jean-Claude Duvalier was scheduled to attend a hearing to determine whether he should again face charges for human rights abuses committed during the 15 years of his regime.

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Honorary Doctorate in humane letters was presented to the Managing Attorney, Me Mario Joseph of (IJDH) Institute for Justice & Democracy Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI) in Haiti. Stephen A Privett, S.J. USF President declared that Mario Joseph was extremely devoted to his career.

A Legal Voice for the Oppressed

He stood up for victims of injustice as a human rights attorney. He has provided legal voice to all those who had been silenced by the oppression by his personal and deep commitment.

The entire community of USF and graduates are sure to gain inspiration from this, he declared during the graduation ceremony where he conferred the honorary degree on him. He addressed this to more than just the graduate and undergraduate USF College of Arts and Science students at the graduation ceremony.

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For the many scores of Haitians living in the United States, the Dominican Republic and other countries within the realm of the United Nations, deportation back to a country still devastated after the 2010 earthquake is an imminent threat. Many living in the U.S. before the earthquake, set for deportation after serving prison sentences or being caught by immigration, were given a reprieve that has since been recalled in light of the current stance of the U.S. on issues of immigration. However, this spate of deportation to the still-crippled nation has many human rights experts crying shame on participating countries and asking for their reconsideration.

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Haitian-American human rights attorney and Director of Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI), Mario Joseph, provides legal services for those incarcerated for speaking out against the government of Haiti (GOH). He also goes to bat for impoverished Haitians and citizens harmed because of their political beliefs.

Mario Joseph earned his university degree from École Normale Supérieure and studied at Gonaïves Law School. He began his career as human rights counsel for the Peace and Justice Commission of the Catholic Church. In 1996, he became a member of BAI.

Joseph's most significant case was the Raboteau Massacre trial, in which he was lead counsel, representing survivors of the event. The six-week trial ended with 53 convictions and punitive damages of $43 million USD, assessed against the offenders. Joseph did not stop with the Haitian convictions. He assisted the Center of Justice and Accountability to try other instigators involved in the Raboteau Massacre in the U.S. judicial system.

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Haitian attorneys André Michel and Louis Newton St. Juste arrived in the U.S. recently to meet with representatives of human rights organizations (HRO). The reason for the visit was to obtain support for Michel and St. Juste's allegations that President Martelly's family has been engaging in corruption practices.

Michel and St. Juste, who are practicing members of the Port-au-Prince Bar Association, spoke before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights about the continuing problem of corruption in the Haitian government. They met also with representatives of the U.S. State Department, Congress, and the Haitian Diaspora.

Together with HRO legal counsel, Michel and St. Juste have begun preparations to prosecute Sophia and Olivier Martelly, the president's wife and son, for diverting funds allocated to state programs for their personal use. Other government officials are said to be involved in the corruption scheme as well.

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The Human Rights Office, a branch of the United Nations, has decided to help the Haitian government prosecute former Haitian Dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier for the killings and tortures that took place under his government. The "Haitian Joudalist" was also informed that there are no statute of limitation for important human rights violations such as torture, rape and enforced disappearance. The Human Rights Office said that people who were victimized by the Jean-Claude Duvalier regime deserves justice.

Does anyone remember this Haitian proverb: "Bay kou bliye, pote mak sonje"