Latest attack on an independent Haitian radio station marks 5th in 6 months

Miami, November 10, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about the reported arson attack on independent radio station Radio Émancipation, the fifth such attack on a station in the last six months, and calls on the Haitian government to establish conditions in the country that allow journalists, and citizens more broadly, to work safely without fear of gang violence.

On Nov. 1, unidentified gang members broke into the premises of Soleil d’Haïti University and set fire to Radio Émancipation, a university affiliated radio station, in the capital Port-au-Prince, according to its director and local media reports.

“It is vital that the government of Haiti restore conditions in the country that allow journalists, and private citizens more broadly, to work without fear of being caught up in gang violence,” said CPJ U.S., Canada, and Caribbean Program Coordinator Katherine Jacobsen. “Journalists play a vital role in ensuring that the public is informed about what is happening in their community, and the destruction of radio stations points to a desire to stoke fear and control information in Haiti.”

The radio’s director and former senator and chief prosecutor for Port-au-Prince, Jean Renel Senatus, informed CPJ that he filed a formal complaint with the Ministry of Justice on Wednesday demanding an investigation, saying that the station learned last week an attack was imminent and moved their equipment to an undisclosed location to be able to continue broadcasting.

Senatus added that the station was often critical of the gang violence that has ravaged the capital, “which made us a nuisance to them.” 

Haitian gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, of the gang coalition viv Ansanm (Live Together), has previously threatened the radio station for broadcasting a show hosted by journalist Thériel Thélus, who has been critical of gangs.

Haiti’s government has been besieged by a coalition of violent armed gangs for the last 18 months who displaced an estimated 1.3 million people, making it one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, according to CPJ’s 2024 Global Impunity Index.