Sonia Pierre (C) with Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, 2010 International Women of Courage Awards at the US Department of State, March 3, 2010

Public officials have insulted and defamed human rights defender, Ms Sonia Pierre, as a result of a complaint that was submitted before the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR), an autonomous organ of the Organisation of American States (OAS).

Further Information

Sonia Pierre is the Executive Director of the Movimiento de Mujeres Dominico-Haitianas – MUDHA (the Dominican Haitian Women's Movement), an organisation working on promoting the human rights of the minority group comprised of Dominican nationals of Haitian descent residing in the Dominican Republic, and particularly the rights of women pertaining to that group.

In recent days, a spate of newspaper articles have published comments from public officials insulting and defaming Sonia Pierre as a result of a complaint that was brought before the IACHR by national and international organisations concerning the absence of effective judicial response in cases of arbitrary denial of nationality, in relation to descendants of undocumented Haitians born in the Dominican Republic. The hearing on the situation relating to the the arbitrary denial of nationality of Dominicans of Haitian descent will take place on 24 October 2011, during the next IACHR session.

Various media outlets have reported that Sonia Pierre is responsible for the complaint and Mr Enrique Santelises, Executive President of the Grupo Consultor Jurídico - GSV (Legal Counsel Group - GSV) and member of the Fuerza Nacional Progresista - FNP (National Progressive Force), accused the human rights defender of threatening the health and image of the Dominican State before the international community. On 6 October 2011 Reinaldo Pared Pérez, President of the Senate accused Sonia Pierre of abusing the hospitality of the state with false complaints against it. One newspaper report published on the 1st of October accused Sonia Pierre of being a “cáncer terminal para el País” (a terminal cancer for the country). At least one of these reports was published on the front page of a newspaper, which meant that it was then used in public posters advertising the publication around the city of Santo Domingo.

On 12 March 2007 Sonia Pierre was amongst 100 prominent women recognised by the company MercaSID for their contribution to society, in a photographic exhibition called “Women”, in Santo Domingo. In 2006 Sonia Pierre was the recipient of the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award for her contribution to human rights. The Foreign Minister of the Dominican Republic, Mr Carlos Morales Troncoso, as well as other public officials, questioned at that time whether she was a worthy recipient and accused her of running a campaign against the State and of receiving millions of dollars backing for this campaign.

Front Line is concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Sonia Pierre, her family and other human rights defenders working to promote and protect human rights in the Dominican Republic, in particular the human rights of the minority group comprised of Dominican nationals of Haitian descent residing in the Dominican Republic. Front Line further believes that media campaigns accusing Sonia Pierre of instigating complaints before the IACHR may place her at risk of persecution or further campaigns of intimidation and harassment.