The latest distress call from Renan Hédouville, Protector of the Citizen, on the situation of internally displaced persons and that of students at the State University of Haiti (UEH), has made its way... Indeed, while passing through Haiti, the Independent Expert on the issue of human rights in Haiti, took advantage of his stay in Port-au-Prince, to make an information visit to the Office for the Protection of the Citizen, (OPC).

An opportunity for the UN envoy to learn about a set of files related to security and respect for rights and freedoms in Haiti.

William O'Neil had the opportunity to see first-hand the situation of UEH students, particularly those in the Faculty of Law and Economics, temporarily housed in the OPC premises at the initiative of Hédouville

William O'Neil, while welcoming the efforts of the Citizen Protector in his ongoing fight to establish a culture of non-discrimination and respect for the fundamental and inalienable rights of citizens, reassured the students on site of his solidarity and commitment to raise the issue of internally displaced persons to the highest level, of whom they are the first victims, due to the violence of armed gangs.

He ended this information visit to the OPC with a message of hope to Haitians, to the internally displaced persons, represented by the students driven out of their premises, just as citizens driven out of their homes, their neighborhoods, their cities.

"I salute your courage" visibly moved, he said to the students....

IH/ iciHaiti