Following the announcement of the Haitian National Police, that it has handed over to Dominican authorities two Haitian brothers, who have been accused of murders in the Dominican Republic, questions are arising about the legal basis these men where delivered to the neighboring country, since Haiti doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the Dominican Republic.
Yesterday, Tuesday, March 13, violence and chaos erupted in the Dominican border town, Pedernales, after residents of that town gave all Haitian nationals residing there, a 24 hours ultimatum to leave or be forcibly removed, following the death of a couple last week, whose murders are blamed on two Haitian brothers, who then fled to Haiti.
"We do not have an extradition treaty with Haiti. So when these cases occur, as has happened on other occasions, what is done is agreements between authorities to get a defendant delivered, " said yesterday the Dominican prosecutor in the case, Maritza Corcino in Pedernales, answering questions from journalists about why it took so long for the accused murderers to be handed over to the Dominican Republic.
But is it really the case? Has the Dominican Republic handed over to Haitian justice Dominicans who have committed crimes in Haiti?
President Jovenel Moise who has taken many initiatives to reinforce security at the border and to combat contraband and transnational crimes, should make it a priority for Haiti to sign an extradition treaty with the Dominican Republic, so when dominicans commit serious crimes in Haiti, they too can also be prosecuted in Haiti.
