Assassination of Bar Association President Monferrier Dorval: A Forgotten Case, A Living Memory

Five years ago, the President of the Port-au-Prince Bar Association, Me Monferrier Dorval, was assassinated. Occurring on August 28, 2020, in front of his residence in Pèlerin 5, this murder shocked society and prompted numerous promises of investigation. However, Haitian justice has still not shed light on the grey areas surrounding this crime, and the case seems to be sinking into oblivion. A Conference to Revive Memory and Demand Justice The NOU SE DORVAL (NSD) organization convened a press conference this Thursday, August 28, 2025, at the Éphraïm Hotel (Delmas 41), with written, spoken, and televised press in attendance. The objective: to recall the history of the case, denounce the slowness and inaction of Haitian justice, and also reaffirm the demand for truth and justice for this crime, described as a «barbaric act». The lawyers who are members of NSD – Me Ramong Jean-Louis, Me Enorsh Pierre, Me Jameson Ovide, and Me Iswick Théophin – emphasized that the Dorval case does not concern only one man, but an entire country held hostage by impunity. They also denounced the inhumane conditions in which detainees live in Haiti, a problem which, according to them, reflects the general failure of the judicial system. A Memory Honored by Symbolic Initiatives Beyond judicial demands, Me Dorval's memory continues to inspire acts of recognition. On the occasion of this fifth anniversary, the political party EDE inaugurated a room bearing the name of the Bar Association President, testifying to the intellectual and moral influence he exerted on Haitian public life. For his supporters as well as his colleagues, Dorval remains a model of rigor, integrity, and civic engagement. A Silence That Raises Questions Five years later, the absence of trials and convictions casts a heavy shadow over the rule of law in Haiti. Numerous civil society organizations recall that if justice cannot elucidate the assassination of a personality of Monferrier Dorval's stature, it is even less capable of protecting the ordinary citizen. A Dual Reality: Judicial Oblivion, Persistence of Legacy While the Dorval case seems buried in the labyrinth of justice, his memory remains alive. Initiatives by organizations like NSD, as well as political and institutional tributes, reflect the desire to keep alive the ideal of justice and democracy for which he was committed. However, this symbolic memory cannot replace the duty of truth and justice that the State owes its citizens. The question remains: how much longer will the country have to wait to finally know who ordered and carried out the assassination of Bar Association President Monferrier Dorval? Gesly Sinvilier