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Haitian Police Take Ex-Dictator Duvalier to Court

VOA News 18 January 2011

Police in Haiti have escorted former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier from a Port-au-Prince hotel and taken him to court, two days after he made an unexpected return to the country after 25 years in exile in France.

The former leader, known as "Baby Doc," was taken from the luxury Hotel Karibe Tuesday and led away in a convoy of vehicles to the courthouse. It was not clear, however, whether he was being charged with crimes committed during his 15-year rule. Haiti's chief prosecutor went with police and a judge to meet Mr. Duvalier at the hotel where he has been staying since his surprise return to his homeland.

Human rights groups have long pressed for Mr. Duvalier to face justice for human rights abuses under his regime, including the torture and killings of thousands of people. He also is alleged to have stolen millions of dollars in public funds.

A spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Rupert Colville, said earlier Tuesday that it is not clear yet whether Haiti is in a position to arrest and charge Mr. Duvalier with atrocities committed while he was in power. Colville said evidence is needed to mount a case.

Also Tuesday, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs spoke broadly about the situation in Haiti. He told reporters that any current or former political leaders there should focus not on themselves, but on putting their energies into resolving the country's disputed November 28 elections and in rebuilding in the aftermath of last year's devastating earthquake. Gibbs did not mention Mr. Duvalier by name.

The former dictator took power at age 19 after the death in 1971 of his father, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, who had ruled Haiti since 1957 and was also accused of brutality.

The younger Duvalier's return comes at a time of political crisis in Haiti following the disputed election that triggered protests and allegations of fraud. A runoff election that was to have been held this past Sunday was postponed.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said in a post Monday on the social networking site, Twitter, that the United States is "surprised" by the timing of Mr. Duvalier's return. Crowley said it adds unpredictability at an uncertain time in Haiti's election process.

The Caribbean nation, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is still struggling to recover after the January 12, 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people and left more than one million others homeless. Hundreds of thousands of people still live in tent cities, and many parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, remain in ruins. The country is also battling a deadly cholera epidemic.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.