Switzerland puts sanctions on Haiti gang leaders
Switzerland will follow UN sanctions on Haitian gang leaders running riot in the Caribbean country, the government decided on Friday.
Bern has adopted all the binding sanctions ordered by the UN Security Council on October 21, according to a government press releaseExternal link. These include freezing of assets, a ban on entry and transit, and a targeted arms embargo on “individuals, companies or entities whose actions threaten the peace, security or stability of Haiti”.
Individuals targeted include Jimmy Cherizier (also known as “Barbecue”), one of the most influential gang leaders.
The Swiss sanctions come into force at 6pm on December 16.
The UN has called for an immediate end to the ongoing violence and human rights abuses in Haiti, citing abductions, sexual and gender-based violence, trafficking in persons, the smuggling of migrants, extrajudicial killings and recruitment of children by armed groups and criminal networks.
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.