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

Front Line Defenders is deeply saddened by the news of the death of Sonia Pierre on 4 December 2011 in the Dominican Republic.

Sonia Pierre was 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 2009 Sonia participated in a Front Line Training of Trainers on Security and Protection in Mexico City. In 2007 Front Line welcomed the courageous human rights defender to the Fourth Dublin Platform for human rights defenders at risk where she gave testimony of her work and the threats she received as a result of that work. In 2006 she was the recipient of the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award for her contribution to human rights.

It is with great sadness that we received news that she had died of a heart attack on Sunday and we would like to convey our sincere condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of Sonia Pierre.

See previous appeal by Front Line Defenders: Defamation of human rights defender Ms Sonia Pierre following statements by public officials.