As part of World Press Freedom Day, the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) reiterates its concern about the serious situation of journalists in Haiti, a country currently facing the greatest challenges to press freedom in the hemisphere.

Since July 2021, the Office of the Special Rapporteur has recorded the murder of 11 journalists, most of them in the context of their coverage of clashes between criminal gangs for territorial control; the kidnapping of at least 10 press workers as a strategy of intimidation and extortion by armed groups; the forced internal displacement of 9 journalists and their families; the exile of at least 3 more reporters; aggressions against at least 10 reporters who, despite carrying out their work in multiple protests, were wounded by lethal projectiles and canisters; as well as armed attacks against the headquarters of 2 media outlets.

Finally, the Office of the Special Rapporteur announces that it is preparing a report whose objective is to assess the difficulties faced by journalists in Haiti in carrying out their work, and the impact this has on the media ecosystem. The report will address in detail the value of journalism in guiding national and international responses to the crises in Haiti by civil society actors, state institutions and the international community. As part of this report, the Rapporteurship will continue to engage in dialogue with local reporters and international correspondents to monitor the press freedom situation in the country.

HL/ HaitiLibre