Particularly violent weekend in Haiti, in the capital Port-au-Prince and its surroundings. Armed gangs attacked the country’s two largest prisons, the Croix des Bouquets prison and the National Penitentiary. Thousands of detainees escaped, and at least a dozen people were killed. The government declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew. Mikaël Ponge joined Me Arnel Rémy, general coordinator of CADDHO, the collective of lawyers for the defense of human rights who, after the escape, went to the National Penitentiary.
4 mins
RFI: Do we have an idea of the exact number of detainees who escaped this weekend?
Me Arnel Rémy: We have our sources who work within the prison, who told us that the prison strength was 3,696 prisoners. During CADDHO’s visit to the prison – with supporting photos – we were able to identify approximately 99 remaining prisoners. So the number of people who escaped varies around 3,597 prisoners. These are approximate figures until officials give the real numbers.
Read alsoHaiti: after an assault by armed gangs, prisoners escape from the country’s main penitentiary
And the CADDHO members who went to the prison, what did they see? What does the Central Penitentiary look like today, after this escape?
It is a deserted, empty prison, where all the cells are open. Sections of walls are knocked down: on videos, we saw that bandits were holding a sort of sledgehammer in their hands to knock down the walls, in order to facilitate the prisoners’ escape.
Those who didn’t escape, where are they?
They were relocated. Now, they are at the Delmas 33 police station, in Pétion-Ville. We decided to relocate them to two centers. For the moment, there are no more prisoners in the national penitentiary.
What do we know about those who escaped, particularly the gang leaders?
Notorious bandits, big bandits! And currently, in the streets, big bandits are circulating: the police officers who had been arrested in the case of the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse have escaped. Other police officers, other arms dealers, rapists, kidnappers, notorious bandits, gang leaders, they are all in the streets, so that’s already worrying.
And do you fear that the sites where those who did not escape were transferred will be targeted in turn?
Of course. Not only do we fear new attacks, but what concerns us at CADDHO is monitoring the dizzying rise in the crime rate. The notorious bandits who are on the streets will return to their primary activities, namely acts of banditry, crime, strengthening criminal gangs. The security of a country is in danger, internal security is in danger. So it is up to those in charge to do what is necessary to ensure the safety of the population. The population is afraid, so no one can go out and no one can use the roads – children cannot go to school. So there is chaos, there is worry, there is danger.
Read alsoState of emergency in Haiti and establishment of a curfew in Port-au-Prince
We saw this Sunday on social networks some of the prison escapees being apprehended by citizens. Do you confirm this?
Yes, I confirm it to you. But there are also other escapees who are summarily executed, we don’t know if it’s the police or the population. For the moment, the population is protecting itself from the prisoners. If we find someone who is not used to frequenting this area, the population decides to arrest them and why not hand this person over to the police.
Do you believe, like some, that there could have been collusion between the gangs and the prison administration to explain the ease with which the attack was carried out on this central penitentiary?
Investigations must be opened to find out whether there was collusion between people working in penitentiary centers and gang leaders, and the people inside as well. Because it was too easy: the big barrier is closed, but the little door is open… So investigations must be opened to find, to identify the people, those responsible, the jailers, the people who contributed to facilitating this massive escape. If, after a judicial or administrative investigation, it is found that people contributed to facilitating this escape, these people must be punished severely.
Read alsoHaiti: “It is chaos, disorder, terror that reigns in Port-au-Prince”