Amnesty International Report 1995 - Dominican Republic

One prisoner of conscience continued to be held despite judicial orders for his release. One person "disappeared". At least eight Haitians were reportedly killed by troops near the border in unclear circumstances. In August President Joaquín Balaguer Ricardo began a seventh term in office. His re-election, which was widely regarded as fraudulent, led to protest strikes which resulted in scores of people being detained. According to reports, at least 25 protesters were held for over 30 days. They were subsequently released, apparently without charge. In the context of the international embargo imposed on Haiti by the UN Security Council (see Haiti entry) Dominican troops were placed on the border, ostensibly to prevent trade between the two countries. By the end of the year the human rights centre announced by President Balaguer in 1993 had not apparently been established (see Amnesty International Report 1994). Two independent human rights activists were reported to have been threatened by a high-ranking official at the National Penitentiary of La Victoria, during a visit to the prison. They had previously complained to the authorities about conditions in the prison, including the deaths in custody of two men. Luis Lizardo Cabrera, a political activist detained in 1989, remained in prison, despite three judicial decisions ordering his release (see Amnesty International Reports 1990 to 1994). He was a prisoner of conscience. One person "disappeared". Narciso González, a university lecturer, journalist and political activist, was detained on 26 May, after he had publicly criticized President Balaguer's re-election. According to witnesses, he was detained by soldiers in the streets of Santo Domingo, the capital. The authorities neither acknowledged his detention nor confirmed where he was held. However, his wife was reportedly later told by a military officer that Narciso González had been seen "badly injured" at the National Police headquarters on 27 May, and had apparently been transferred to a military hospital. At least eight Haitians were reportedly killed by soldiers from the Dominican Republic in a militarized area along the border with Haiti. The victims were reported to have been suspected of involvement in gasoline smuggling, in contravention of the international trade embargo against Haiti. By the end of the year no official investigation into these killings was known to have been conducted. Amoesty International urged the authorities to release Luis Lizardo Cabrera immediately and unconditionally, and called for an immediate, thorough and independent investigation into Narciso González' "disappearance". In June the Chief of the National Police told Amnesty International that a police investigation had found that Narciso González had not been in police custody. However, no independent investigation was apparently conducted. In September the organization appealed to President Balaguer to initiate an investigation into the reported killings of Haitians near the border.