UN human rights experts appeal for end to political violence in Haiti

Two United Nations experts on human rights have expressed concern about the deterioration in human rights observance in Haiti since the start of recent violent confrontations between law enforcement officials, government supporters and government opponents.

The Special Rapporteur on the freedom of opinion and expression, Ambeyi Ligabo, and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Asma Jahangir, both of the Commission on Human Rights, "deplored the fact that political violence continued to regularly cause victims."

Two people were killed and about 30 were injured on 7 January in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and 25 people were injured on the campus of the University of Haiti last month in such confrontations, they said in a joint statement.

The experts noted that numerous attacks against political activists, journalists and radio stations also have taken place in the last few months.

The Special Rapporteurs appealed to the Haitian authorities - in cooperation with opposition political parties - to demand that the violence stop and bring to justice anyone found responsible.