Haiti prosecutors charge 'Baby Doc' Haitian authorities have filed corruption and theft charges against former president Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier. Last Modified: 18 Jan 2011 17:24 GMT [image: Email Article] Email Article<http://english.aljazeera.net/Services/ArticleTools/Send2Friend.aspx?GUID=2011118161223307617> [image: Print Article] Print Article [image: Share article] Share Article <http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php> [image: Send Feedback] Send Feedback<http://english.aljazeera.net/Services/ArticleTools/SendFeedback.aspx?GUID=2011118161223307617> *The graffiti may welcome exiled president Jean-Claude Duvalier, but human rights groups say he should face trial [AFP] ***
Haitian prosecutors have charged Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, Haitian former exiled president with several crimes, including corruption, theft and the misappropriation of funds. Police on Tuesday escorted Duvalier from the hotel where he was staying in Port-Au-Prince less than 48 hours after he returned<http://english.aljazeera.net/Services/System/?Rq=6)O7AzSe8-5Hs3tQrll-6XDaDIfNL-6)gXcYUPl-6)Zm)EQkx-p(> to his homeland having spent 25 years in political exile. Al Jazeera's Sebastian Walker, reporting from Port-Au-Prince, said that Duvalier was being charged with "crimes that took place during his rule", noting that the deposed president has returned to Haiti at a "sensitive point". Our correspondent said that there has been "total confusion "since Duvalier's arrival and there's some speculation that he might harbour some "political ambition" to get involved in the country's stalled<http://english.aljazeera.net/Services/System/?Rq=6)O7AzSe8-5HrW7D0c9-5HDDa9Bfc-6Whi)mLtJ-6)h4EuKQ6-40DxB0fv>November 28 presidential elections. There are also rumours that Duvalier, 59, is ill and that he wants to see his country once more before he dies. "Really, this is bringing everything to a head ... there's been no comment from the man himself," said Walker, who said that highly placed officials have refused to comment on Duvalier's return. Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake<http://english.aljazeera.net/Services/System/?Rq=6)O7AzSe8-5Hs3tQrll-6XDaDIfNL-6)gXcYUHW-5YrUQEktU-1sCz_>in January 2010, followed by a cholera outbreak and a hurricane<http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/11/201011515518943907.html>in November, which flooded the country's coastal towns. *Rights groups outraged* Duvalier was ousted by a popular revolt after his family and supporters were accused of plundering tens of millions of dollars of state funds during his 15-year reign. Duvalier had earlier told a Florida radio station he was not returning as a presidential candidate, saying: "This is not the order of the day." In 2007, Duvalier called on Haitians to forgive him for the "mistakes" committed during his reign. Haitian authorities have accused Duvalier of diverting more than $100m out of the desperately poor country under the guise of social work during his reign. Human rights groups criticised his return on Monday, saying he should be arrested and prosecuted. "Duvalier's return to Haiti should be for one purpose only: to face justice," Jose Miguel Vivanco, the Americas director of Human Rights Watch, said. "Under the presidency of Duvalier...thousands were killed and tortured, and hundreds of thousands of Haitians fled into exile. His time to be held accountable is long overdue. "Haiti has enough troubles without Duvalier. Duvalier's presence - unless he is immediately arrested - is a slap in the face to a people which has already suffered so much."<http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/spotlight/aljazeeratop102010/2010/12/201012267254557114.html> Source: Al Jazeera and Agencies [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:la...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: laamn-dig...@yahoogroups.com laamn-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: laamn-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
