Brian Concannon
| Brian Concannon | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Brian Concannon Jr. November 18, 1963 |
| Alma mater |
Middlebury College Georgetown University Law Center |
| Occupation | Human Rights Lawyer and Activist |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Website | http://ijdh.org/ |
Brian Concannon, Jr. (born November 18, 1963) is a human rights lawyer who directs the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH). Brian also serves as a member of the Editorial Board of Health and Human Rights: An International Journal at the Harvard School of Public Health. He is an alumnus of Boston College High School'81, as well as an Ignatius Award winner. He holds an undergraduate degree from Middlebury College and JD from Georgetown Law. He is the recipient of the Wasserstein Public Interest Fellowship from Harvard Law School the Brandeis International Fellowship in Human Rights, Intervention, and International Law and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Canisius College.
After working for the United Nations as a Human Rights Officer for 2 years (1995–1996), Concannon co-managed the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI), Haiti's only public interest law office with Mario Joseph between 1996 and 2004. During his time at BAI, Concannon played an essential role in preparing the prosecution of the landmark Raboteau Massacre trial in 2000. As many as 50 people were killed in the Raboteau in 1994. Six years after the slaughter, Concannon and BAI were able to convict 16 defendants guilty for their role in the massacre. The Court also issued a civil damages judgment against the defendants for 1 billion gourdes (roughly $43 million). A documentary was made about the trial which features extensive interviews with Concannon. BAI was tasked with various other cases during this time period, geared primarily toward seeking justice for the victims of ex-military and paramilitary violence in Haiti (which has been documented in depth), and BAI was also involved in the investigation into the murder of famed Haitian radio journalist Jean Dominique.
In 2004, Concannon left Haiti and returned to the United States to found the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) after the February 2004 coup d’etat that overthrew Haiti’s president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. IJDH was founded specifically as the sister group of BAI. IJDH and BAI work collaboratively on all their projects. IJDH is based in Boston, Massachusetts.
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