Gathered this weekend in front of the residence of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the lawyers insisted that they are the targets of assassinations and kidnappings.

The president of the Bar Association of Port-au-Prince, Marie Suzy Legros, recalled that seven lawyers were kidnapped in February, and one was assassinated while driving his car in January.

Paradoxically, the area where the Palace of Justice is located is one of the most insecure in the capital, she said, while in the slums, controlled by criminal groups, lawyers are afraid to go to court.

Legros pointed out that several judges and their families have received threats against their lives, and in the absence of official protection to carry out their work they are forced to flee abroad.

Haiti Libre noted that in recent years, but particularly since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, organized crime has escalated to unforeseen levels, and gangs now control considerable parts of the capital and the country’s main cities.

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