The Association of Haitian Journalists, AJH, has condemned the behaviour of many members of people’s organizations (OP) who are close to the Lavalas government and who have not stopped threatening journalists who are trying to work in Gonaives.
The AJH confirms that these OP members are putting severe pressure on journalists Jean-Robert Francois, correspondent for Radio Metropole, and Henry Fleurimond, correspondent for Radio Kiskeya. AJH Secretary-General Guyler C. Delva has called on the police and the justice department to take the necessary measures to guarantee the security of the journalists, especially these two colleagues, who have been obliged to go into hiding. Let us listen to Delva’s statements to Signal FM:
The AJH wants to condemn the intrigues by a certain number of OP members in Gonaives, who have threatened Francois, who is the Radio Metropole correspondent in Gonaives, and Fleurimond, who works in Gonaives for Radio Kiskeya. We can confirm that severe pressure is being put on these two journalists, who have even been obliged to go into hiding because of the serious threats to which they have been subjected. AJH deplores this situation and calls on the authorities in the country, the police and the justice authorities, as well as the political authorities, to assume their responsibilities and make sure that their supporters in Gonaives do not carry out the threats they have made against Francois and Fleurimond in the next few days.
We also want to condemn the physical attack on Anne Myriam Loiseau, the correspondent for Radio Vision 2000 in Miragoane. Policemen attacked her physically two days ago. We condemn this act and once again ask that the authorities should show that they do not support such actions by taking the necessary disciplinary measures against the policemen involved in such acts.
We are taking this opportunity to denounce all other attacks on journalists throughout the country, in several other parts of the country, particularly in the Limonade area, where an Intervention and Maintenance of Order Company (CIMO) or (Departmental Unit for Maintenance of Order UDMO) police officer, Superintendent Cosmy Alexis, went to Radio Limonade FM on several occasions to threaten John Pierre, the director of that radio station.
It is the responsibility of the police hierarchy, the high command of the police, to intervene to make sure that the threats against Pierre are not executed. Once again, it is deplorable that police officers and other individuals linked to the government continue to persecute journalists and the media in Haiti.