Reporters Sans Frontières

Published on 21 February 2005

Police attacked radio Megastar journalist Makenson Remy on 18 February in Port-au-Prince. He was driving home after work when he realised a police car was following him. When he stopped at a red light in the district of Nazon, the police ordered him to get out of his car. Then, according to the account he gave the Associated Press, they beat him and threatened to kill him if he did not stop working for Megastar. "They accused me of making pro-Aristide comments on the radio," he said, referring to former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. They also said, "they may have hurt me but they could have killed me," he added.

14.02.05 - Journalist stops working, goes into hiding after shooting attack
Reporters Without Borders voiced alarm today about the climate of violence in Haiti in which journalist Raoul Saint-Louis, a co-presenter on the privately-owned radio station Megastar, announced on 8 February that he has had to go into hiding, change his residence and stop working as a result of a shooting attack four days before.

"The consequences of the attack on Saint-Louis have been disastrous and constitute a serious press freedom violation," the organization said. "The attack and the death threats he received by telephone have made him decide to stop practising his profession because he fears for his life and the lives of his loved-ones. He has moved, he is wearing a different style of clothes and he is hiding when he goes out."

Pointing out that this was the third attack against a journalist since the start of the year, Reporters Without Borders called on the authorities "to quickly do everything possible to put an end to this situation of danger for journalists, who must be able to work in complete safety."

In the attack on Saint-Louis on the evening of 4 February, several shots were fired as he was outside the radio station with his wife and several colleagues. One of the shots went right through his hand, causing a injury that required hospitalization.

As it was dark, Saint-Louis was unable to see who fired the shots. He said he had received death threats by phone during the preceding month after he accused the government on the air of not doing enough to combat corruption.