A Haitian radio journalist was killed while covering the October 2020 protest demonstrations in Port-au-Prince, the latest in a series of attacks on media workers that had occurred during periods of civil unrest. The killing drew sharp condemnation from press freedom organizations and journalists’ associations, who called for a thorough investigation and prosecution of those responsible.
The journalist, who worked for a regional radio station, had been covering the demonstrations as part of his regular reporting duties. Press freedom organizations documented that he was clearly identifiable as media and appeared to have been deliberately targeted, though the full circumstances were disputed by different parties and an investigation was launched.
The killing added Haiti to the list of countries where journalism had become a physically dangerous profession, and followed a pattern of threats, physical attacks, and intimidation against Haitian journalists that had intensified during the political crisis. Organizations representing Haitian journalists noted that their members faced threats from multiple directions — security forces, gangs, and political actors across the spectrum who found unfavorable coverage dangerous to their interests.
The Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders issued urgent calls for the Haitian government to conduct a genuine investigation, prosecute those responsible, and implement measures to protect journalists covering public demonstrations. They warned that unpunished attacks on journalists had a chilling effect on the entire profession and ultimately harmed the public’s right to information.