Haiti PM: US State Dept to Send Legal Team
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti's prime minister says a team of legal experts from the U.S. State Department will visit the Caribbean nation this week.
Garry Conille of the Haitian government says the delegation will look at ways to help Haiti strengthen its judiciary. It will also look at a much-criticized ruling on the case of former strongman Jean-Claude Duvalier.
An investigative judge ruled last month that the former despot known as "Baby Doc" should face trial for financial crimes and not the human rights abuses associated with his 15-year rule.
The decision prompted condemnation from human rights groups and plaintiffs, who said they suspected political interference from the government.
The administration of President Michel Martelly has said it has never tried to influence the case.
(Photo: Michael Nagle/Getty Images)