Fourteen Haitians police officers and officials of the prison services, will be tried for the deaths of at least 11 inmates after the riot that broke, on January 19, 2010, in the prison of Les Cayes, where over 400 prisoners, terrified by the aftershocks, tried to escape.

The Government Commissioner of Les Cayes, Me Jean Marie Solomon, said that these criminal public criminal hearings, will open Tuesday, Oct. 18 in the Salle Saint Louis des Cayes (theater room) and that all arrangements for the proper conduct of this trial, were taken. Several hundred people are expected for this large-scale trial.

Recall that following the riot, the Haitian police and UN peacekeepers from Senegal had surrounded the building to prevent a mass escape similar to the National Penitentiary in Port-au-Prince on January 12, 2010. The Haitian police had then stormed and opened fire.

The Haitian Government and the Minustah, have then opened a joint investigation. The UN police saw the bodies of 10 prisoners, but there were more victims and dozens of injuries. The judge overseeing the investigation has suggested that up to 22 people had lost their lives. Investigators suspect that the bodies were buried in secret.

See also (in french) :

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-895-haiti-prison-des-cayes-le-juge-d-instruction-reclame-la-detention-de-15-policiers.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-291-haiti-prison-des-cayes-le-ministre-paul-dennis-admet-l-existence-de-zones-d-ombre.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-263-haiti-prison-des-cayes-la-pnh-nie-avoir-voulu-etouffer-le-massacre.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-166-haiti-prisons-commission-d-enquete-sur-le-massacre-de-la-prison-des-cayes.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-149-haiti-justice-massacre-a-la-prison-des-cayes-chronologie.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-155-haiti-prison-des-cayes-des-temoignages-horrifiant-enquetes-en-cours.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-146-haiti-justice-massacre-dans-une-prison.html

PI/ HaitiLibre