News Americas, PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Weds. Oct. 8, 2014: Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, known as “Baby Doc,” will reportedly be laid to rest on Saturday, October 11th , a week after he died from a heart attack, sources say.
Duvalier, 63, the so-called “president for life,” who allegedly ordered the deaths of thousands through his Haitian paramilitary force the Tonton Macoute, will receive a state funeral, the Haitian government has announced, since he was a head of state.
Duvalier fled Haiti in 1985 and stunned Haiti when he returned 25 years later.
He was charged with human rights crimes within days of his return, but he successfully argued in court that the statute of limitations had expired on charges that included torture, rape and extrajudicial killings. In February, a Haitian appeals court ruled that the lower court was wrong and that there is no statute of limitations for human rights violations. The ruling reopened the possibility that Duvalier could face such charges, but he died before a judicial investigation decided whether to pursue the charges.
