Port-au-Prince, Haiti – Former Haitian Supreme Court Judge Wendelle Coq passed away yesterday at the age of 59.
The news was confirmed to Métronome by her brother, Maître Edwin Coq, who said, “I confirm her death, but I can say no more.”
According to information obtained by Métronome, Wendelle Coq succumbed to a malaise that occurred during her sleep after a nightmare. She was rushed to the hospital but unfortunately did not survive.
She was officially pronounced dead at 4 p.m. on Friday, January 10, 2025, Métronome reported.
The exact details of her death remain unclear. Her family has chosen to remain silent, so it is not yet known whether she was receiving medical attention or whether her health had already been compromised.
The Direction Centrale de la Police Judiciaire (DCPJ) had issued a search warrant for Wendelle Coq, accusing her of involvement in the assassination of Jovenel Moïse on July 7, 2021. However, she succeeded in obtaining a court decision exonerating her of all charges in the case.
Despite these allegations, Wendelle Coq was respected in judicial circles for her integrity. Her colleagues regarded her as a competent and upright magistrate.
Osner Févry’s Reaction
In a press release, prominent lawyer Osner Févry expressed his anger at what he saw as the “moral and political death” of Wendelle Coq.
“This upright magistrate, a victim of the political system, died above all of moral indignation at the indifference and abandonment of those in the national judiciary, particularly her peers in the Magistrature and the Cour de Cassation, who should have been there for her,” he said.
Févry also criticized the lack of support from her colleagues, pointing out that Wendelle Coq had succeeded in obtaining an order lifting the departure ban imposed on her.
“Nevertheless, this judicial decision has never been implemented by the competent authorities,” recalled Maître Févry, who also mentioned the fact that the magistrate “had recently obtained an order canceling the departure ban against her, but not a single institution in the country has deigned to enforce this court decision, which was in her favor!”
Févry concluded by expressing his hope that history will one day accurately and objectively recount the ordeals endured by Wendelle Coq and her motivations in the face of the crises that shook the country in 2020-2021.
Wendelle Coq’s death comes at a time when the Haitian justice system is in deep crisis, weakened by political strife and growing public distrust.
Her legacy is likely to continue to divide an already fragmented nation. While some praise her commitment and integrity, others persist in seeing her as a polemical figure associated with one of the darkest periods in Haiti’s contemporary history.