The State : Haitians Win Court Victory

Victims of Haitian government-sanctioned extortion by security forces known as Ton Ton Macoutes can qualify for political asylum, a federal appeals court ruled in San Francisco. In an important victory for Haitian refuges, the U.S. 9th Court of Appeals overturned denial of political asylum to Fritz Desir, a former Haitian fisherman now living in San Francisco. Desir said he became the victim of political persecution when he refused to pay bribes to the Ton Ton Macoutes to fish certain waters. He was subjected to beatings, abduction and armed threats. The security force operated in what the court called a “kleptocracy, or government by thievery,” under the regime of former President Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier. The ruling is believed to be the first in a federal appeals court to hold that generalized extortion can be considered political persecution, according to Robert Baizer, Desir’s attorney.