Prison - 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.

Read more →  

On Thursday, January 28, 2016, Mr. Peter F. Mulrean, the U.S Ambassador in Haiti, in the presence of several other local, civil, political, religious and MINUSTAH representatives, inaugurated the new civilian women's prison in Cabaret near Ti Tanyenclose, located on the road leading to Saut d'eau on National Road #1. The construction of the new prison for women started in August 2013 by the Haitian firm Panexus.

A major part of the investment for the project, to the tune of US$ 8 million, has been funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics Affairs and Enforcement (BINL). The prison is a two-story complex on a 6,144 square meter area; it can accommodate 250-300 inmates, allowing about five square meter area per detainee.

Read more →  

This is a lesson of dedication and commitment. After spending 42 months in prison for something she did not do, Sister Dona is once again free. Dieudonne Pierre Bélizaire, better known as Sister Dona who founded the orphanage Sister Redeemer of Nazareth, was cleared from charges of kidnapping, child trafficking and criminal conspiracy in a criminal court in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and released immediately. As a reminder, Sister Dona was arrested and put in prison in June 2012 for the disappearance of child Raphaël Chenet. The father of the child accused sister Dona of selling his child. Sister Dona has consistently claimed her innocence.

Read more →  

Ex-Senate Chairman during the Aristide administration, Dr. Jean-Marie Fourel Celestin, has blamed the U.S. government for being lured into the drug trade. He expressed his outrage just prior to his deportation to Port-au-Prince. Haitian authorities arrested him, alleging his participation in drug trafficking, money laundering, and other criminal charges. Under police custody he attended an hours-long hearing. He was then turned over to the Central Directorate Judicial Police, who imprisoned him at the National Penitentiary for nearly two weeks.

Fourel's attorney, Mr. Joseph Claudet Lamour, said the warrant issued for Fourel's arrest by Judge Alexandre Mimose at the hearing, had no grounds for being. Lamour pointed to international conventions Haiti agrees to, which states a person cannot be imprisoned for ". . . the same charges in a third country . . .", which in Fourel's case is the U.S.

Read more →  

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.

Read more →  

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?

Read more →  

On one faithful day in August, one prison in Haiti lost a number of inmates it has taken years to amass. On Sunday the 10th of August, 2014, armed, unidentified men stormed into the Croix-des-Bouquets prison, allowing free 329 inmates, including the 2012 convicted son of a prominent Haitian businessman, leader of a kidnapping and murder gang in the capital, Clifford Brandt.

While the mass escape following a startling takeover is news in and of itself, speculation is rife that the entire staging was simply a cover through which to free Brandt from prison. Now, Haitian police as scouring the likely areas of the country, including near the border they share with the Dominican Republic, to find Brandt and the other escapees. So far, they have apprehended nearly a dozen.

Read more →  

Here it is folks. the Haitian authorities has accomplished something historic. Something that was almost impossible to be done was realized by the Haitian government and the Haitian Police force. Finally, after close to a Month in waiting, the authorities has published the names and pictures of some of the people who escaped the Civil prison of Croix des Bouquets.

Things are not perfect and it si something hard to come up with. However, part of it is now done. Maybe in a few more months, all the pictures and names will be released.

Read more →  

In August, 2014, Haitian authorities reported that some 329 prisoners escaped from the Croix-des-Bouquets prison in Haiti, including wealthy businessman, Clifford Brandt who was accused for kidnapping.

Unlike most countries in the world, the authorities were unable to provide accurate information. Thirteen days after the prison break, authorities could only come up with a partial list as to who escaped. Can you imagine this? A maximum security prison where some of the most dangerous member of the Haitian society are incarcerated and the authorities did not keep count.

Questions:

What is the definition for a maximum security prison in Haiti?

Read more →  

On Thursday, May 8th, 2014, the Bar Association of Port-au-Prince has inaugurated the Phase II of Legal Assistance Office (BAL or Bureaux d'Assistance Légale). This is an addition to the existing capacity of four offices which will double the present lawyer numbers from thirty to sixty. This extension project of US$ 807,870 was funded by the Section of Community Violence Reduction (CVR) of United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah). This is an effort from the United Nation to strengthen the rule of law through democratic governance, providing security to the population and supporting a functioning public administration.

When Phase I of BAL was launched in last January 31, 2013, it had some objectives: provide free legal assistance to the citizens who are in dire need especially those who are in captivity and to reduce unjustified prolonged pre-trial detentions. BAL has successfully assisted many poorest litigants who did never had any ability to pay a lawyer. BAL, with its 30 lawyers in the first four offices has fought 6463 individual cases and regained freedom for 2851 people of whom 425 were women and 97 minors. Including the copy of decisions, the Ministry of Justice has exempted all fiscal fees to the beneficiaries of the legal services.

Read more →