Haiti - Justice : The Government releases 23 prisoners for the holiday season
On Wednesday, December 24, 2025, as part of the process of releasing individuals held in prolonged pretrial detention, Pedrica Saint Jean, Minister for the Status of Women and Women's Rights, accompanied a delegation composed of Patrick Pélissier, Minister of Justice; Fritz Paterson Dorval, Government Commissioner to the Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince; and Bernard Saint-Vil, Dean of the same court, visited the juvenile detainees and women incarcerated at the Center for the Re-education of Minors in Conflict with the Law (CERMICOL).
During this visit, which lasted several hours, after a thorough review of the files, and in the presence of the Minister of Justice, the Government Commissioner released 23 detainees, including sick women and minors, who had been incarcerated for several years for minor offenses (5 women and 1 minor girl, 13 minor boys, and 4 men).
These releases were carried out in accordance with applicable legal provisions, following a careful review of the cases, taking into account the legal, social, and human realities of the individuals concerned.
Minister Pélissier emphasized that no detainee prosecuted for rape, violent crimes, kidnapping, or other serious offenses is included in this act of clemency by the Government for Christmas and New Year's.
