Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2004 - Haiti

Attack and harassment of CEDH leaders¹⁷⁶

In the night of 1-2 August 2004, Mr. Jean Claude Bajeux and Mrs. Sylvie Bajeux, leaders of the Ecumenical Centre for Human Rights (Centre oecuménique des droits de l'Homme – CEDH), a human rights organisation based in Port-au-Prince, were targeted at their home by two armed men. Warned immediately, police did not come to assess the situation until around 10.00 am. These events occurred during the 5th Citizens' Forum for the reform of criminal justice, for which Mr. Bajeux was the spokesperson. FIDH chargés de mission were also present in Haiti at the time, and had extensively benefited from the CEDH's assistance to organise their mission.

Mr. and Mrs. Bajeux had already been subjected to attacks and threats in the past because of their work in favour of human rights in Haiti. In October 2003, when returning to their home, they were attacked by armed men. Armed guards intervened by firing to the air, which caused the assailants to flee. Similarly, in July 2002, the Bayeux residence was taken under assault by men who, threatening with arms, confined Mrs. Bajeux and four employees who were present. It was not until they noticed that Mr. Bajeux was absent that they fled the scene.