Baby Doc family to challenge blocked funds
Relatives of former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier have appealed against a decision by the Swiss government to keep millions in plundered funds frozen.
The Federal Administrative Court said on Wednesday that Duvalier’s family would continue to pursue some of the blocked funds, which amount to at least $4.6 million (SFr4.9 million).
A court spokesman said it was unclear when it would rule on the appeal, but the decision could subsequently be challenged in Switzerland’s top court.
The government issued an emergency decree last month to keep the money frozen in a Swiss bank until a new law can be passed allowing it to be donated to aid groups working in Haiti.
The government decree was a reaction to the country’s top court ruling in January that the money must be returned to Duvalier’s family because the statute of limitations had expired.
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