Haiti: Government to Appeal Decision in Kidnapping Case
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Version 0 of 1. The government will appeal a judge’s widely criticized decision to dismiss charges against two men in a high-profile kidnapping case, the justice minister said Wednesday. The decision by a judge to dismiss charges that included kidnapping, murder and drug trafficking against the men, Woodly Ethéart and Renel Nelfort, after a two-hour trial on Friday has drawn criticism from human rights groups, the United Nations and the United States. Mr. Ethéart previously worked for the Interior Ministry and is reportedly a friend of the brother-in-law of President Michel Martelly. The rapid resolution of their case raised eyebrows in a country where most cases languish for years without being decided. Justice Minister Pierre-Richard Casimir said that the government believed that correct procedures were not followed in the case and that the judge erred in releasing the two men, who were accused of leading a ring that kidnapped 17 people. It will be up to the Supreme Court to decide whether to return the two to custody, he said. |