14 November 2001

Alert

RSF and the International Alliance for Justice for Jean Dominique express concern that the Senate has yet to vote on lifting Dany Toussaint's parliamentary immunity


Incident details

Jean Dominique

journalist(s)

killed

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(RSF/IFEX) - In a letter to President of the Senate Yvon Neptune, RSF and the International Alliance for Justice for Jean Dominique (IAJJD) expressed serious concern that three months after the Ministry of Justice's request, the Senate has yet to take a decision on whether to lift Senator Dany Toussaint's parliamentary immunity. The two organisations underlined that the parliamentary commission charged with examining the request only met for the first time five weeks after the request was forwarded.




The two organisations asked the president of the Upper Chamber "to take the necessary measures so that the Senate answers the request from the instructing judge without further delay." "As you yourself confirmed, 'this is in the interest and for the prestige of the Senate as an institution.' Indeed, this is why we think that the Senate cannot for a moment give the impression of hiding behind questions of procedure," wrote RSF and the IAJJD. The organisations expressed their hope to Neptune that the Senate would lift Toussaint's parliamentary immunity, "to allow justice to take its course." "The refusal to lift his parliamentary immunity would represent a denial of justice and would mean that the senator will remain a suspect in the case," they added.

According to information received by RSF, on 10 August 2001, Minister of Justice Gary Lissade sent a request from examining judge Claudy Gassant to the Senate, asking for the lifting of Senator Toussaint's parliamentary immunity. Toussaint has been implicated in the inquiry into the assassination of journalist Dominique, director of Radio Haiti Inter, and Jean-Claude Louissaint, a security guard at the radio station. In a letter to RSF dated 16 August, Neptune reiterated his commitment to see justice served. "This is in the interest and for the prestige of the Senate as an institution," said the Senate president. However, on several other occasions, Neptune has stated that the process of lifting parliamentary immunity, for which there is no precedent in Haiti, will take time. The parliamentary commission charged with examining this request only met for the first time on 17 September, five weeks after the request was sent.

On 3 April 2000, Dominique, Haiti's most renowned journalist and political analyst, was killed in the courtyard of his radio station, Radio Haiti Inter. Well known for his independent voice, Dominique was critical of former Duvalier officials and soldiers, as well as the bourgeoisie. More recently, he criticised those that he suspected, at the heart of Fanmi Lavalas (President Jean Bertrand Aristide's party), of seeking to "divert the movement away from its principles." In his 19 October 1999 editorial, the journalist clearly laid out Toussaint's ambitions. Toussaint was indicted at the end of May 2001.





Source:

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
47, rue Vivienne
75002 Paris
France
rsf (@) rsf.org
Phone: +33 1 44 83 84 84
Fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51
@rsf_rwb
 

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More on this case

Jean Dominique case: RSF, the Haitian Journalists' Association and the Damocles Network call for the case of murdered journalist to be transferred to another judge 28 June 2002 RSF and the Damocles Network urge President Aristide to give assurances to Judge Gassant and express hope that he will resume work on the Jean Dominique murder case 22 April 2002 Impunity continues two years after journalist Jean Dominique's murder 2 April 2002 Senate refuses to lift Dany Toussaint's parliamentary immunity 4 February 2002 Judge's mandate not renewed in Jean Dominique murder case 25 January 2002 RSF calls for sanctions against twenty-four Haitian officials 15 January 2002 New act of intimidation against examining judge in Jean Dominique case 4 January 2002 Assassination of journalist Jean Dominique: RSF urges parliamentary commission to decide in favour of lifting Dany Toussaint's parliamentary immunity 3 December 2001 Death of a second suspect in custody raises doubts as to the authorities' willingness to shed light on Radio Haïti Inter director's murder 15 November 2001 RSF once again concerned by impunity in assassinated journalist Jean Dominique?s case 5 October 2001 RSF urges Senate to lift parliamentary immunity of senator implicated in journalist Jean Dominique's murder 14 August 2001 RSF hopes that the judge in charge of the inquiry into journalist Jean Dominique's assassination will return to the case 20 June 2001 New threats to inquiry into assassination of journalist Jean Dominique 14 June 2001 IAPA seeks protection for judge in case of murdered journalist 18 May 2001 Investigation into assassination of journalist Jean Dominique impeded again 11 May 2001 RSF releases report on the investigation into journalist Jean Dominique's murder 3 April 2001 IAPA publishes Internet report on investigation into journalist's murder 16 March 2001 AMARC condemns assassination of celebrated radio journalist 18 April 2000 RSF denounces threats against private radio station 7 April 2000 CPJ expresses sadness over journalist's assassination 5 April 2000 RSF condemns assassination of radio director 4 April 2000

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