Threat to Press Freedom in Haiti, CPJ Expresses Concern
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince
· 2 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), based in Miami, USA, expresses concern about the deteriorating safety of journalists and media in a context of increasing violence in Haiti. At least one journalist has been abducted and two others nearly killed, the committee highlighted, focusing on the abduction and death threat against journalist Roger Claudy Israël, which occurred in Mirebalais, in the Centre department.
Roger Claudy Israël, a former correspondent for Radio Ginen and owner of the local radio station RC FM, and his brother were abducted in Mirebalais by members of the Viv Ansanm gang, who threatened to execute their captives in a video released on April 4.
«We call on Roger Claudy Israël's abductors to release him and his brother without delay and urge Haitian authorities to restore order so that journalists and other citizens can live free from fear,» said Katherine Jacobsen, CPJ's U.S., Canada, and Caribbean Program Coordinator.
Jean Christophe Collègue, another journalist who worked for Voice of America until its broadcasts ended in March, is missing after his home was set on fire, also in Mirebalais, the CPJ stated, calling on armed groups to respect the rights of press workers.
Two other journalists told the CPJ they were assaulted during anti-government protests in the Canapé-Vert neighborhood of the Capital. «Journalists are targets right now,» said one journalist, injured in the head, collarbone, and ankle on April 2. «The police, gangs, and the people are all against us,» he stated anonymously, citing fear of reprisal.
Juan Martínez d’Aubuisson, who specializes in reporting on conflict zones and gangs, told the CPJ he was beaten on March 19 and nearly lynched by a crowd wielding machetes and shouting: «We don't want journalists or foreigners.»
«People are angry and desperate,» said D’Aubuisson, who was saved by a moderate demonstrator, fled on a motorcycle, and subsequently left Haiti. «I've never seen anything like it. One false move and you could be reduced to ashes,» he said, describing the situation.
Haiti tops the CPJ's 2024 Global Impunity Index, which ranks countries where the killers of journalists are most likely to go free. Recent events in Mirebalais highlight the extent of threats to press freedom in the country.
