Judicial

Nadège Dorzema v. The Dominican Republic in International Human Rights Court

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (defend.ht) - ”After waiting 12 years almost to the day, victims of the Guayubin massacre can testify about the atrocities they experienced and will thus attempt to end impunity and achieve justice and reparation,” said Bernard Duhaime, a lawyer for the victims of a June 2000 massacre of Haitian travelers by the Dominican Armed Forces.

On the night of June 17/18 2000, at Guayubín, in the province of Montecristi, soldiers of the Division of the Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic, in charge of surveillance of the border, repeatedly shot at a truck that had just entered the Dominican territory, killing seven people and injuring several others.

Survivors of the massacre suffered serious human rights violations, including being detained and then expelled from the Dominican territory. The soldiers involved in this case were cleared by military courts of the country or had reduced sentences.

The incident is now a case called Nadege Dorzema et al. vs the Dominican Republic or the Guayubin Massacre. It is being tried by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights where 37 victims of Haitian origin and Dominicans involved in the case are expected to be heard.

"This tragedy is part of a poisoned environment of systemic violation of human rights of people of Haitian descent in the Dominican Republic, especially the right to non-discrimination and compliance with legal personality," said Christopher Campbell -Duruflé, a team member of the Internatonal Clinic of Human Rights (CIDDHU).

Two survivors will be present to testify. Lawyers from the Support Group for Refugees and Repatriated Persons (GARR), the Dominican-Haitian Cultural Center (CHIC) and the CIDDHU, will attempt to demonstrate that the massacre was part of systematic discrimination against people of Haitian origin.

The plaintiffs will also try to prove that many other human right violations were committed such as the right to life, personal integrity, freedom, equality, legal-judicial protection and more.

They will request changes to laws in the Dominican Republic and new investigations to be held for criminal trials by civilian courts as well as financial compensation for the victims involved.

Video with summary.