STRONG REACTIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS IN THE DUVALIER CASE
(Haiti Libre) -
Following the delivery of the closing order of Mr. Jean Carvès to the Commissioner of the Government, in which he recommends that Jean Claude Duvalier be charged with embezzling of public funds; several human rights organizations, have strongly reacted to this decision.
Anthonal Mortimé, the Executive Secretary of the Platform of Haitian Human Rights Organizations (POHDH), criticizes the decision of Mr. Carvès, estimating that it is an act of trivialization of Haitian justice. "This decision is simply a scandal [...] Impunity and anarchy: there is no other word", noting that only minor facts were brought against the former dictator. He estimates that this order is equivalent to whiten Jean Claude Duvalier and that it is "a slap given to Haitian justice and victims" adding the intention of the POHDH, to take steps to obtain a more appropriate following in the case of Jean-Claude Duvalier.
Reed Brody, Counsel and spokesperson for the international organization "Human Rights Watch" expressed his surprise at the decision of the investigating judge, to judge the former President Jean-Claude Duvalier for embezzlement, and hopes that this decision will be overturned on appeal.
"Those who were tortured under Duvalier, those whose loved ones were killed or simply disappeared, deserve better than this [...] This wrong-headed ruling must be overturned on appeal, if Haitians are to believe that their justice system can work to investigate the worst crimes."
For his part, Gerardo Ducos, Amnesty International's researcher, said he was intrigued by the judge's findings, stating that "the investigation was an imposture, and his conclusion a shame". He stressed that a limited number of victims were interviewed and that no effort was made to collect testimony from victims and witnesses outside of Haiti.
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