Yesterday Thursday, after the trial opened on October 18, 2011, against 13 Haitians police officers and officials of the prison services, judged for the deaths of at least 11 inmates after the riot that broke, on January 19, 2010, in the prison of Les Cayes, where over 400 prisoners, terrified by the aftershocks, tried to escape, the Judge Ézékiel Vaval has sentenced 7 police officers to sentences of imprisonment ranging from 2 to 13 years of hard labor, the accused risked life imprisonment. The judge Vaval also concluded to the innocence of six other police officers. In addition 21 other officers who fled will be tried in absentia.

"The decision of the judge is his expression of the truth. There are other versions that exist but this is mine. And that is the law" declared the judge Vaval during its delivery.

At trial the defense lawyers had argued that the police officers had tried to stop a riot in a difficult circumstances, ignoring from where the shots came, and asserting that some victims may have been killed by other inmates.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-4037-haiti-justice-the-trial-following-the-riot-in-the-prison-of-les-cayes-opens-tuesday.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-895-haiti-prison-des-cayes-le-juge-d-instruction-reclame-la-detention-de-15-policiers.html (in french)

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-291-haiti-prison-des-cayes-le-ministre-paul-dennis-admet-l-existence-de-zones-d-ombre.html (in french)

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-263-haiti-prison-des-cayes-la-pnh-nie-avoir-voulu-etouffer-le-massacre.html (in french)

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-166-haiti-prisons-commission-d-enquete-sur-le-massacre-de-la-prison-des-cayes.html (in french)

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-149-haiti-justice-massacre-a-la-prison-des-cayes-chronologie.html (in french)

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-155-haiti-prison-des-cayes-des-temoignages-horrifiant-enquetes-en-cours.html (in french)

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-146-haiti-justice-massacre-dans-une-prison.html (in french)

PI/ HaitiLibre