Haiti

Exercise of press freedom in Haiti is precarious, despite the fact that President Jean Bertrand Aristide’s administration says that it respects such freedom. Journalists have complained of curtailment of freedom of expression and free access to official news sources and constant harassment by politicians belonging to the ruling party, the Lavalás Family Movement, government officials, police officers and paramilitary supporters of the government. To protest the pressure being put on them and the threat to free speech, journalists in September staged a rally wearing gags over their mouths. President Aristide and government officials responded at the time that they respect freedom of the press, but the journalists strongly denied this. The Association of Haitian Journalists complained of at least a dozen official actions against reporters, saying the worst such cases were a death threat and other psychological pressures being put on them and members of their families. One case of particular concern was the brief disappearance of two journalists in separate incidents in August and September. There was fear for their lives, but they reappeared shortly afterwards. At least three other journalists decided to leave the country and go to the United States out of fear of official harassment. Joseph Guyler Delva, general secretary of the Association of Haitian Journalists, has become a target of the Lavalás Family Movement that accused him of being an enemy of the Aristide regime. The murders of three journalists – Jean Leopold Dominique, Gerard Denoze and Brignol Lindor – remain unpunished. Although suspects in the Dominique case have been indicted, they have not yet been put on trial.