Haiti: UN rights office welcomes new judicial units to tackle gang violence and impunity

Key points

• Launched by the Haitian government at the end of May, they are expected to address complex corruption cases, including the illicit trade of arms and money laundering.
• The development comes after courts have been attacked, vandalised and occupied by gangs, while magistrates and justice officials have been the victims of attacks and death threats from these groups.
• Tweet URL The country - which has faced long-standing significant challenges due to political instability, systemic corruption and widespread gang violence - will also use the judicial units to deal with serious human rights violations such as killings, kidnappings, sexual violence, and child trafficking perpetrated by gangs.
• Units must be independent So far this year, gang-related violence has resulted in at least 2,310 deaths, 1,106 injuries, and 99 kidnappings.
• At the same time, 699 people, notably women and young girls, have fallen victim to sexual violence, and hundreds of children continue to be...