Miami (April 19, 2023) - The Inter American Press Association condemned the murder of Haitian journalist Dumesky Kersaint. Furthermore, the organization condemned the insecurity faced by the press in the Caribbean country and urged the authorities to investigate acts of violence against journalists urgently.
Dumesky Kersaint, a journalist with Radio Télé Inurep, was murdered in the early hours of April 16 by armed men who shot him multiple times. The 30-year-old journalist, who used to cover social protests, was killed in Carrefour, south of Port-au-Prince. It is unknown whether Kersaint was a collateral victim of the violence or the main target of the criminals.
IAPA President Michael Greenspon, Global Head of Licensing & Print Innovation for the New York Times, condemned "the wave of violence that has engulfed our colleagues in Haiti." He urged the media and press organizations of the Americas to "denounce and condemn the crimes, the impunity and, the violence that trouble the country."
The president of the Press Freedom and Information Committee, Carlos Jornet, expressed solidarity with Kersaint's family and colleagues. Jornet, the editor of the newspaper La Voz del Interior of Argentina, added: "Since last year, we have witnessed the great insecurity surrounding the profession in Haiti. Journalists have become victims of armed gangs that operate in several areas of the country."
It was the first assassination of a journalist in 2023, after nine were killed in 2022. They were Franklin Tamar of Solidarité radio; Fritz Dorilas of Megastar radio; Romelo Vilsaint and Wilguens Louissaint, digital media contributors; Tess Garry of Lebon FM radio; Frantzsen Charles of FS News; Tayson Lartigue of Tijèn Journalism; Maxihen Lazarre, of Rois des Infos; and Amady John Wesley, of Écoute FM radio.
In 2023, three journalists were kidnapped and released after payment of ransom.
IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere; and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.
