The decree “regulating the exercise of freedom of expression and providing for the prevention and repression of defamation and press offenses,” published in the official gazette Le Moniteur last December, could impose undue restrictions on freedom of expression and criminalize criticism of the authorities. This is the view of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (SRFE) of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), which is urging the executive branch to repeal it. “The SRFE urges the Haitian authorities to repeal the decree, to refrain from adopting rules that unduly restrict freedom of expression, and to guarantee this right as an essential pillar of the democratic transition and the restoration of security,” reads a statement published in Washington on Wednesday.

The decree, the statement continues, threatens to hinder public debate and accountability in a particularly delicate context for the country, marked by the expiration of the mandate of the transitional government in February 2026, the difficulties in organizing elections amid persistent insecurity, and the replacement of the Multinational Security Support Mission by the Gang Suppression Force.