The IPI global network calls on Haiti to investigate the killing of journalist Fritz Dorilas. Authorities must determine the motive behind the attack and ensure the safety of journalists in the country.

Dorilas was shot and killed near his home in the northeast of the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, on November 5. According to news reports, the circumstances of the killing are not yet clear. Dorilas moderated a programme on Saturdays on Radio Megastar focused on legal issues.

“We are deeply saddened by the news of Fritz Dorilas’s death. Haitian authorities must thoroughly investigate the killing, determine the motive, and hold those responsible to account”, IPI Director of Advocacy Amy Brouillette said.

Dorilas’s killing continues a dark year for the Haitian press. Just days earlier, journalist Romelo Vilsaint was killed during a protest demanding the release of detained journalist Robest Dimanche in Port-au-Prince. He died after being hit in the head by a tear gas canister fired by police towards protesters.

In September, IPI reported on the brutal killing of Tayson Latigue and Frantzsen Charles, who were fatally shot covering a story on escalating gang violence in Port-au-Prince.

“This year has seen an alarming escalation of violence against the press in Haiti”, Brouillette said. “Amid the increasingly dangerous environment for journalists, Haitian authorities must take immediate steps to ensure the press’s safety.”