When Fonkoze's Amos Jeannot Was Found at the Morgue: "Teeth were broken and missing," says a gruesome report.

see also: NCHR Report: Jeannot Found in Haitian Morgue

The following report was posted anonymously on "The Corbett List," a mail list on Haiti that is administered by Robert Corbett. It describes in graphic details the evident torture suffered by Amos Jeannot at the hands of his captors. We have no reason to doubt its authenticity. We make it available on this site to urge you to soldier on for human rights and human dignity. If ever there was a reason for Haitian police officials to diligently investigate his death, identify the perpetrators of this crime, arrest them and secure their prosecution, this is it. 

The stench of rotting corpses filled the air as the two men sat in a small office at the General Hospital morgue in downtown Port au Prince. They were negotiating entry and the right to search for the body of Amos Jeannot. Amos had been kidnapped almost two weeks previous and his organization, Fonkoze, received an ultimatum to close their operations or he would be killed.

Fonkoze is a grassroots organization that serves as a bank for the poor and many peasant organizations throughout Haiti. Meager savings are combined with assistance and support from international religious and solidarity organizations to create economic strength for Haiti's traditionally dispossessed majority.

Police had delivered several unidentified bodies to the morgue over the past several days. The only way to narrow the possible identities was through a description of the clothing last worn by Amos to be crosschecked with the clothing on the corpses. A quick call by one of the men confirmed that Amos had been wearing a blue t-shirt with blue jeans and a brown leather belt.

The two men braced themselves as the man behind the desk told them that a body had been brought in by the police wearing clothes matching that description and then asked if Amos was a tall man. Amos was tall and their hearts began to sink as they followed another man to a large locker emitting a smell that would sicken the heartiest of people. Visible in the large pile of corpses was the unidentified man in blue and when the attendant lifted his head, so the two men could see the face, it was clear they had found the body of Amos Jeannot.

Until an official autopsy is performed no one can know for certain what Amos suffered during the last days and hours of his life. Despite this, a closer examination of the body clearly shows that Amos Jeannot had been subjected to systematic torture. Teeth were broken and missing as were his eyes in what appears to have been a vicious and prolonged beating to the head. The skin had been peeled off several areas of his body exposing heavily bruised flesh beneath. There were several small round puncture wounds most notably on his left cheek and his right lower back. Both wrists were bruised and the skin starting from the forearm of his right arm had been peeled back to the base of his palm leaving no doubt that this is one of the most barbarous and frightening slayings in Haiti to come to light in years.

It is probably best not to dwell on what the last moments of agony and suffering were like for Amos Jeannot. There should be a clear and emphatic call for justice but it is also important to remember Amos by celebrating his commitment to his people and his work on behalf of the poor. Amos Jeannot now joins a long list of martyrs including Father Jan-Marie Vincent, Antoine Izmery, Guy Malary, Jean Dominique and countless others killed for their belief in a better future for Haiti and her people. May their deaths not be in vain as everyone extends prayers and support to his family, co-workers and the community that loved Amos Jeannot so dearly. His soul and memory live on in the spirit of the Haitian people as they continue to struggle for social and economic justice in Haiti.

To demand justice for Amos Jeannot, click on this link. You will be able to send a fax to President Rene Preval and Haitian National Police Chief Pierre Denize. You should also register your demand via electronic mail to the Haitian embassy in Washington, DC. Thanks in advance for your efforts.