Legal community and organizations in Haïti’s northeast region emphasize the risks faced by legal professionals after a top lawyer’s assassination exposes growing insecurity in the country’s justice system
The assassination of lawyer Artiste Rémy highlights the rising dangers faced by legal professionals in northeast Haiti as the justice system grapples with growing threats and inadequate protections amidst escalating violence. On Sept. 17, Rémy, who had been practicing law for nine years, was shot and killed due to a land dispute in which he was defending one of the parties.
The assassination of lawyer Artist Rémy has brought renewed focus on the growing dangers faced by legal professionals in Haiti, where practicing law can become a life-threatening occupation. Land conflicts, one of the most contentious issues in the country and its region, have long fueled threats and persecution, making it even more perilous for those who seek to uphold justice.
Rémy, the secretary-general of the Fort-Liberté bar association, was shot and killed by armed men on Sept.17 as he entered his home in Ouanaminthe, a town rife with tensions over a land dispute between two local families. The conflict, which has been going on since 2018, has already claimed many victims, particularly within the judicial system.
“We are doing everything we can to prevent lawyers from becoming victims in this case,” said government commissioner Eno Zéphirin, referring to the escalating threats and violence tied to the conflict.
Handy Jean-Baptiste and Emmanuel Nelson head the two families involved in the land conflict, with Rémy defending the Nelsons.
Land ownership disputes in Haiti, particularly in the different provincial regions, are a well-known source of tension. They often escalate into extreme violence in the absence or inadequacy of law enforcement. Lawyers, bailiffs, and others involved in these cases have increasingly found themselves the targets of threats and attacks as they navigate a fractured legal landscape, where resolving land ownership disputes can trigger dangerous repercussions.
Haiti: Fort-Liberté Bar demands accountability as land disputes turn deadly for prominent lawyer
