WASHINGTON (ChatnewsTV) — The United States has imposed sanctions on former Haitian parliament member Prophane Victor and gang leader Luckson Elan for their roles in serious human rights abuses linked to gang violence in Haiti, according to a press statement released on Wednesday.
Victor, a former lawmaker, is accused of supporting and arming gangs responsible for widespread violence across the country, while Elan, leader of the notorious Gran Grif gang, has been involved in human rights abuses in Haiti’s Artibonite department, the statement said.
Both men were named in a United Nations Panel of Experts’ final report, which emphasized their contributions to Haiti’s ongoing crisis. “The levels of violence and the depths of cruelty that gangs will go to in violating human rights are unprecedented,” the report states, noting “regular indiscriminate attacks against the population and the obstruction of humanitarian assistance.”
The report further highlighted the alarming rise in sexual and gender-based violence, particularly rape, as one of the most brutal forms of abuse over the past two years. The U.S. government has prioritized accountability for gender-based violence, including through the use of the Global Magnitsky sanctions program, which targets perpetrators of human rights abuses and corruption worldwide.
“Promoting accountability for gender-based violence is a top priority for the U.S. government,” the statement emphasized, reaffirming the Biden administration’s commitment to combatting these abuses.
In November 2022, President Joe Biden issued a Memorandum on Promoting Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, directing the U.S. government to strengthen its use of financial, diplomatic, and legal tools to address the issue. The Department of the Treasury’s sanctions on Victor and Elan were issued under Executive Order 13818, which implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
