Haiti - Justice : Opening of the Symposium against impunity for past crimes
From 27 to 29 September, the National Human Rights Network (RNDDH), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Ecumenical Center for Human Rights (ECHR) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) are organizing, with the support of the European Union (EU), a symposium in Port-au-Prince on the fight against impunity for past crimes and transitional justice. International experts, particularly from Latin America, and Haitian experts will exchange views with key actors in the fight against impunity in Haiti on the importance of establishing truth and responsibility for the crimes of the past.
These three days of exchanges, sharing of experience and discussions between practitioners and members of civil society aim at strengthening the synergies between these actors, determining contentious and advocacy strategies to combat impunity for past crimes, and sensitize to the various mechanisms of transitional justice.
Recall that the history of Haiti is marked by periods of political violence characterized by authoritarian regimes, including those of François and Jean-Claude Duvalier but also of Jean Bertrand Aristide, and recurrent and bloody coups, serious violations of human rights. No satisfactory mechanism for establishing the truth or independent and impartial judicial procedure has so far succeeded in restoring victims to their rights and contributing to the construction of a collective memory, which is nevertheless indispensable for the non-repetition of these crimes.
"In our daily work of defending human rights today in Haiti, we can only note that the fight against the impunity of the executioners and the necessary strengthening of justice are essential conditions for consolidating the rule of law" strerssed Pierre Espérance, Executive Director of the RNDDH and Secretary General of FIDH
Through the organization of this symposium, these organizations hope that the exchanges will contribute to the reinforcement of the citizen's mobilization around concrete courses of action to engage the authorities concerned in favor of justice, so that the crimes of the past do not repeat and that their perpetrators do not remain unpunished.
