HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT SITUATION IN HAITI

HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS EXPRESS CONCERN ABOUT SITUATION IN HAITI

(Reissued as received)

GENEVA, 22 January (UN Information Service) -- The Special Rapporteur on the freedom of opinion and expression, Ambeyi Ligabo, and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Asma Jahangir, have expressed their strong concern about the situation of human rights in Haiti, especially since the start of violent confrontations in recent months between militias supporting and opposing the Government, as well as with members of the police.

The two Experts of the Commission on Human Rights deplored the fact that the political violence continued to regularly cause victims.  On 7 January, two people were killed and around 30 were injured in Port-au-Prince in confrontations between supporters of the opposition, on the one side, and supporters of the Government and law enforcement forces, on the other.  On 5 December 2003, around 25 persons were injured, several by bullets, following confrontations on the campus of the State University of Haiti between students, law enforcement forces and supporters of the Lavalas Party.

The Experts noted that the last few months had also seen numerous attacks against political activists, journalists and radio stations.  Mr. Ligabo expressed his concern about this trend, underlining the importance of allowing people to exercise their right to freedom of opinion and expression in a democratic society.

The Special Rapporters launched an appeal to Haitian authorities -- in cooperation with opposition political parties -- to demand that the violence stop.  Ms. Jahangir said it was critical that the principles concerning the use of force and arms by law enforcement forces, adopted by the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders in 1990, should be strictly respected.

The Experts of the Commission also called on the authorities to bring to justice anyone found responsible for serious acts of violence, according to national and international norms.

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