Suspected gangs kidnapped another Haitian journalist while his colleagues demanded his release, a government office announced Wednesday.
The journalist was identified by the Citizen Protection Office as Jean Thony Lorthé, who works for Radio Visión 2000.
Local media reported that Lorthé was on his way to a funeral with two other people, including his brother, who is a teacher, when they were abducted last Friday in the Laboule 12 neighborhood of Port-au-Prince.
A gang called Ti Makak, which translates to “little macaques”, is known to control the community of Laboule. Last year, gang members killed two other journalists reporting in that area.
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The alleged gangs have taken another Haitian journalist as the kidnapping problem continues in the country.
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The Association of Haitian Journalists demanded that the kidnappers release the group, noting that Lorthé’s family cannot pay the ransom and that the journalist suffers from serious health problems.
“The widespread insecurity that plagues the country, characterized by acts of murder, kidnappings and beatings, has a major impact on the profession of journalism in Haiti,” the association told the online news site AlterPresse.
The number of reported kidnappings soared to more than 1,200 last year, more than double what was reported the year before, according to the UN. At least seven journalists were killed in Haiti last year and several more remain missing, including freelance photographer Vladjimir Legagneur. who disappeared in March 2018 after he was last seen in the Grand Ravine area.
