BY LOUIS-ALEXANDRE BERG–In January 2012, the Haitian justice system produced two significant but seemingly contradictory decisions. The first came on January 19 at the end of a highly publicized trial of police officers and prison guards. Eight officers were convicted of using unreasonable force in firing on inmates during a prison riot in the city of Les Cayes, soon after the massive earthquake that shook Haiti in January 2010. The court’s decision was hailed as a “landmark moment for Haitian justice,” and seen as an encouraging sign that
the Haitian judiciary was asserting a newfound credibility in holding senior law enforcement officials accountable for human rights abuses. Read More
