Political Prisoner - Haiti Observer Blog

The United Nations (UN), Amnesty International and some other human rights organization observes the International Day of on August 30 each year.

"An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) occurs when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or political organization or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organization without admitting the person's fate and whereabouts, within the intent of placing the victim outside the protection of the law." An enforced disappearance is a form of human rights violation. This practice has frequently been used as a strategy to spread terror and insecurity within the society. It is a global problem and is not restricted to a specific region of the world. The day is also known as International Day of the Disappeared. It is not a public holiday, a UN observance since August 30, 2011.

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The opposition party of Haiti organized and undertook a demonstration on November 25 as part of their greater campaign to overthrow the current Haitian government run by President Michel Martelly. This recent event is only one of a spate of such demonstrations, including some that have turned violent enough to result in bodily harm to some participants. Reports from protests staged in Delmas have reported at least three people having sustained gunshot wounds.

During the protest on November 25, the demonstrators chanted the month-old mantra for the resignation of President Martelly. To this familiar cry they also added the demand for the political prisoners to be let go, and for widespread political persecution. The momentum gathered from this day led to further demonstrations on the 28th and the 29th of November, as the fire that was steadily brewing for the ousting of the present administration continues to kindle to fever pitch.

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FOPARC Members Arrested on Trumped-Up Charges Sunday October 26th a mass demonstration took place in Port-au-Prince over the Martelly government, which continues to delay legislative and local elections. Two major opposition parties, the Patriotic Movement of the Democratic Opposition (MOPOD) and Patriotic Force for the Respect of the Constitution (FOPARC) issued the alert.

The Haitian National Police were out in full force while the demonstrators chanted slogans, mostly calling for President Martelly and his administration's resignation. While marching in Petion-Ville toward the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) headquarters, the opposition protestors took the CEP to task for its failure to prepare for elections, which the government has been promising for over three years. In particular, the protestors charged the opposition senators with not ratifying the electoral law, a step they should have completed eight months ago. Without ratification no legal structure exists by which to organize elections. Riot police were present at CEP headquarters to avert any incidents.

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Breaking news, Les Freres Florestal, Enol et Joshua Florestal, soti nan prison Jodia

Zin, nou a pen pran nouvel ke ke Les Freres Florestal, Enol et Joshua Florestal, a pen jwin liberte yo.

Mwin pa konnin si nou sonje, de mesye sa yo te retrouve yo nan prison paske yo te di ke Madam Presidan-an, sophia martelly, ak pitit li, Olivier Martelly, te foure min yo nan kess letat-a fon.

Bon, comman sa prale fini, jodia ke mesye yo deyor et ke anpil moun oue ke gouvenman-an ape pedi plim

Comman ou oue koze sa?

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Haiti has been ranked 12th in the most corrupt countries across the world based on Transparency International, in part because, for many prisoners, the opportunity of getting their cases heard before the courts actually means waiting for several years. The end result of arrest, trail, conviction or release all boils down to money.

There are multiple reasons why cases often do not get processed according to Brian Concannon, director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy. One of the biggest problems is insufficient resources. Another is because of an outdated system. However, the biggest problem is the high rate of pre-trial detention which fuels the market for bribes.

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Stenio Vincent was the 30th President of Haiti, from 1930-1941. Born of mixed-race parentage, he earned his law-school degree by his 18th birthday. He rose to prominence in the leadership role in the Chamber of Deputies before running for the presidency. As part of his political platform, he voiced extreme disapproval of the U.S. occupation of Haiti. Vincent won the National Assembly majority vote and assumed office in October 1930.

By 1934, after U.S. military forces pulled out, Stenio Vincent began oppressing opposition leaders, spying on and incarcerating them. Now a loyal supporter of U.S. democracy, he became signatory on a trade agreement with them. In 1935, he won the popular vote, keeping him in office until 1941.

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The Haitians are protesting in the Dominican Republic. Not for what you might think. They are not protesting against the Dominican Government for mistreatment. This time, they are protesting against one of their owns.

On January 22, 2013, a group of Haitians, including students, migrant workers and religious leaders, gathered in front of the Haitian Consulate in Santiago and forced the Consulate to close its doors for at least for part of the day. They were demanding the removal of Consul Ralph Hipolitte whom they have accused for being involvement in criminal activities such as selling fake identities to Haitian criminals.

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At the age of 22, Robert 'Boby' Duval, a popular soccer player sat as Haiti's political prisoner in a jail cell. He knew one thing and that was, his country required a change soon. He was imprisoned for one and half years for playing a major role in the Democratic Movement which could affect Haiti positively.

He Paid a Price for Standing Up To His Belief
For standing up for whatever he believed, he had to pay the price of an illustrious career in soccer. He tried a lot to end the Haitian struggle and remained dedicated to athletics and his lifelong love for the soccer game. By providing a career in soccer he has plans to bring in a positive change in Haiti.

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