The Anamah warned that the silence of the Haitian government on the assault on the Palace of Justice and the absence of sanctions reinforce criminality and impunity. | Photo: Le Nouvelliste

Port-au-Prince, June 16 (RHC)-- The National Association of Haitian Magistrates (Anamah) urged the Haitian government to regain control of the Palace of Justice, stormed last Friday, June 10th by armed individuals who expelled judges, government commissioners and other personnel.

In a statement, Anamah recalled that on previous occasions it requested the relocation of the seat of the Court of First Instance to another location, and referred that this has not been fulfilled because "the authorities, both the Ministry of Justice and the Superior Council of the Judiciary, have turned a deaf ear".

The organization assured that "the absence of sanctions in any country promotes corruption and reinforces criminality," and demanded the Government adopt the necessary measures to make the jurisdiction of Port-au-Prince functional.

Government commissioner, reported that criminals are members of the Five Seconds gang and are associated with the kidnapping of 38 people, occurred hours before the seizure of the palace

The court headquarters was violently evicted by the armed group Five Seconds of Village de Dieu.  According to local media, the quick intervention of the Haitian National Police (HNP) allowed magistrates, lawyers and employees of the Prosecutor's Office to escape by climbing the walls.

This is the second attack in less than a week.  According to newspaper reports, the first of these occurred on the third day of October 2021, when individuals broke into the offices of Judge Garry Orélien, who at the time was investigating the assassination in July of that year of former President Jovenel Moïse.

The human rights organization Je Klere Foundation (FJKL), which in a communiqué demanded the removal of the bandits, the restoration of the magistrates, the protection of the judicial archives and the recovery of the assets taken from the State and the judges, joined in the rejection of this event.

At least one person was injured and 7 vehicles were seized during the robbery of the Haitian Palace of Justice, which remains in the hands of armed gangs, denounced the Je Klere Foundation, which defends human rights.