Haitian media group slams government for 'abandoning' wounded journalist in Cuba

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The media watchdog group SOS Journalists on Friday sharply criticized Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) and Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé’s administration for failing to fulfill promises made to injured journalist Jocelyn Justin, who remains in Cuba awaiting surgery.

“Once again, and unfortunately, the authorities have failed to fulfill their commitments, including the one made very recently, to provide the ailing journalist with accommodations in Cuba, food, and medical expenses essential for his recovery,” the organization said in a strongly worded statement.

Justin, whose lower jaw was shattered when he was shot during a gang attack on December 24, 2024, near the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince, has been undergoing treatment in Cuba. The same attack killed three people, including two journalists, and left 10 others injured.

According to SOS Journalists, Justin’s case now hangs in the balance for want of less than US$2,000 — the estimated amount needed to cover the remaining cost of his stay and treatment. The group expressed frustration and disbelief that the Haitian authorities could not mobilize such a modest sum.

“The government cannot claim that it lacks the means to meet this requirement,” SOS Journalists stated. “We regret having to revisit this issue, which we thought had been resolved.”

The group also condemned what it described as the “behavior of the executive authorities, who appear to be acting in bad faith in the case of Justin, who finds himself in a very delicate situation in Cuba.”

It said that only days earlier, the government had promised that all necessary support for Justin’s recovery would be provided.

“SOS Journalists calls on the Transitional Presidential Council and the government of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé to honor their commitments and act immediately to remedy this problem, allowing the journalist to receive treatment, food, and the purchase of the medication he needs,” the statement continued.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which has also been monitoring the case, has called for urgent international support to help protect journalists and defend press freedom in Haiti.

RSF noted that journalism in the country is in the grip of an unprecedented crisis, driven by escalating criminal violence. At least six journalists have been killed since 2022 in connection with their work.