(London) – A lack of political will and unacceptable court delays are allowing Haiti’s former “president-for-life,” Jean-Claude Duvalier, to escape justice for human rights violations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today.
The authorities reopened a criminal case against the former Haitian dictator three years ago shortly after he returned to the country on January 16, 2011, following a 25-year exile in France. He faced charges of serious human rights violations such as murder and torture of political opponents, and of corruption. But the case has stalled for almost a year.
“It appears that the Haitian authorities have no intention of carrying out thorough investigations into Duvalier-era abuses,”said Javier Zúñiga, Amnesty International’s special adviser to regional programs. “The judicial process has stalled, denying victims of his reign of terror their right to truth, justice, and reparation. To add insult to injury, Duvalier continues to take part in public events, often at the invitation of the Haitian government.”
Duvalier, also known as “Baby Doc,” inherited power from his father, the dictator François Duvalier, and ruled Haiti from 1971 to 1986. During his rule, Haitian life was marked by systematic human rights violations.
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