‘I’ll be killed if they find me’: Radio reporter Maxo Dorvil flees Haiti amid gang violence
Haitian radio journalist Maxo Dorvil fled the country on November 7, 2023, after reporting that he was shot at twice in less than two weeks near his home on the outskirts of the capital Port-au-Prince. The 44-year-old journalist with the independent broadcaster Radio Télé Zip said he was shot at by two armed men on…
In Haiti, murders of journalists go unpunished amid instability and gang violence
Dumesky Kersaint never flinched when it came to investigating violence in his gang-controlled suburb of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. On the morning of April 16, the 31-year-old radio reporter left before dawn to cover a previous night’s shooting near his home in Carrefour-Feuilles. He never came back. Several hours after setting out, Kersaint’s body was found…
Faces of impunity across the world
CPJ’s 2023 Global Impunity Index lists the top 12 countries where the murderers of journalists go free. But impunity knows no borders. The mosaic below shows the faces of slain journalists around the world. Beneath each journalist’s photo is the location of their death. Click the images for more details about these unsolved cases. (Photo grid by Geoff McGhee)
Haiti joins list of countries where killers of journalists most likely to go unpunished
By Arlene Getz/CPJ Editorial Director The persistent lack of justice for murdered reporters is a major threat to press freedom. Ten years after the United Nations declared an international day to end impunity for crimes against journalists – and more than 30 years after CPJ began documenting these killings – almost 80% of their killings…
Journalist kidnappings rise in Haiti as violence spikes
At least six journalists have been kidnapped and released in Haiti over the past eight months as gangs have grown in strength since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, with the groups forming alliances and calling for the armed overthrow of the government. Since February, CPJ has documented the murder of one journalist, several reporters forced to flee their…
Haitian rum manufacturer sues AyiboPost, editor-in-chief for criminal defamation
Miami, October 6, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about the criminal defamation suit filed by the owner of the rum company Rhum Barbancourt against the independent news website AyiboPost and its editor-in-chief, Widlore Mérancourt, and calls on Haitian authorities to repeal the country’s punitive criminal defamation laws, the organization said Friday. On September…
Reporters in Haiti flee gang violence surge in capital’s Carrefour Feuilles neighborhood
Miami, September 6, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday expressed grave concern that the rapidly deteriorating situation in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince could put journalists at greater risk than other civilians if they are singled out for their work documenting the situation on the ground. CPJ has learned that at least five reporters have fled…
Haitian radio journalist’s home destroyed in arson attack
Miami, August 31, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the August 23 arson attack on the home of radio reporter Arnold Junior Pierre and calls on Haitian authorities to restore order to the country so journalists can do their jobs without fear of retaliation. On August 23, unidentified armed individuals set fire to Pierre’s home…
Haitian radio commentator Brown Larose shot in Port-au-Prince
New York, August 16, 2023—Haitian authorities must investigate the recent shooting of radio commentator Brown Larose and take steps to ensure that journalists can work freely in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. At about 6:30 p.m. on August 11, an unidentified man wearing a police uniform shot Larose six times outside…
Haitian broadcaster Radio Antarctique burned down in gang attack
New York, July 28, 2023—Haitian law enforcement must thoroughly investigate the July 23 arson attack on independent local station Radio Antarctique and ensure that journalists can work without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. Around 6 a.m. on Sunday, July 23, about 50 heavily armed men with assault-style rifles attacked the…