Dominican Republic faces 3rd human rights case in 10 years

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica.- The Inter-American Human Rights Court began its 95th session today with hearings on two cases of massacres in Guatemala and Dominican Republic and one related to a traffic accident in Argentina.

The judges will start hearings on the case known as "Nadege Dorzema against the Dominican Republic" or "The slaughter of Guayubín" in reference to the

alleged shooting of six Haitians near the Dominican-Haiti border, by Dominican Army soldiers in 2000.

According to the complaint filed with the Court in February 2011, Dominican Army troops fired at a vehicle carrying a group of Haitians, and although the case was tried in military courts, the victims’ relatives requested hearings in ordinary tribunals.

After several years of proceedings, the military court acquitted the soldiers involved.

It’s the third major case by alleged Haitian or Haitian-Dominican victims against Dominican Republic since 2000, including Haiti rights activist Sonia Pierre and the Haitian-Dominican girls Dilcia Jean and Violeta Bosico, who won their case for denial of an ID to attend school.