– SOS Journalistes also calls for the release of journalist Guerlan Hyppolite
PORT- AU- PRINCE, Haiti, (HCNN) – The press freedom organization, SOS Journalistes, says it is deeply concerned by the persistent attempts by certain malicious people to issue death threats against judge Robert Jourdain, investigating the murder of journalist and political analyst Garry Tess.
Garry Tess, who hosted a political program on Radio Lebon FM, in Les Cayes was reported missing on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, and his lifeless body was discovered almost a week later, Monday, October 24, in the locality of Foko, just outside the city.
“SOS Journalists calls on the government of prime minister Ariel Henry and the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ) to take all the administrative and security measures necessary for the protection of judge Jourdain and the success of his investigation, which is so important for the corporation of journalists and society as a whole,” said Joseph Guyler C. Delva, during a press conference on Tuesday in the city of Les Cayes.
SOS Journalistes calls on judge Jourdain not to withdraw from the case, as some would like, and to continue his investigation until it is concluded, obviously within a reasonable time,” said the secretary general of SOS Journalistes.
Regarding the means to be made available to the investigating judge, “SOS Journalists calls on the competent executive and judicial authorities to act quickly to prevent them from being perceived as acting in collusion with the journalist’s killers; therefore predators of press freedom and freedom of expression which, of course, deserve to be denounced everywhere in the world.”
This is also the reason why SOS Journalistes already works with, among others, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), based in New York; the International Press Institute (IPI), based in Vienna, Austria; the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), based in Miami, Florida, to echo the demands of Haitian journalists as far as possible.
SOS Journalists continues to demand justice for Garry Tess, the cowardly murdered colleague whose case seems to be at an impasse today.
The case of Gary Tess must be resolved as soon as possible, in order to prevent this chronic impunity from triggering more crimes against journalists and other media workers.
SOS Journalists actively supports the work of Judge Robert Jourdain and calls on the authorities to fully assume their responsibilities.
The case of Guerlan Hyppolite
The secretary-general of SOS Journalistes, Joseph Guyler C. Delva, spoke to the government commissioner of Les Cayes, Ronald Richemond, currently abroad, who rejected all the allegations and political accusations brought against him within the framework of the assassination of Gary Tess.
Journalist Guerlan Hyppolite has been imprisoned in Les Cayes prison for more than eight months, although there is no indication that he had anything to do with the unfortunate events that led to the assassination of journalist Tess, of whom he has always been a very close friend, a fellow fighter. Moreover, the relatives of the victim pleaded and still plead in favour of his release.
“SOS Journalists calls on judge Robert Jourdain to allow the journalist to regain his freedom,” said Guyler C. Delva. “He will be released not because SOS Journalists demands it, but because the law on the matter, provides for it,” said Delva.
“And SOS Journalists already welcomes such decision, and it will be justice!” he exclaimed.
In addition, SOS Journalists also welcomed the release of Pierre-Louis Opont on the night of Friday, August 25 to Saturday, August 26, 2023, on ransom after being kidnapped on June 20.
“This criminal and evil practice must stop in the country. Kidnapping is becoming almost normal in the country. And it is unacceptable,” concluded Joseph Guyler C. Delva.
