Amnesty International reported four Dominican journalists have experienced harassment and death threats in the Dominican Republic. 

Juan Bolívar Díaz, Huchi Lora, Amelia Deschamps and Roberto Cavada -- known for taking a strong stance against discrimination against Dominicans of Haitian descent -- reported on Feb. 2 experiencing a number of threats and acts of harassment because of their work.

The Dominican Constitutional Court's ruling 168-13 prevented thousands of people of foreign descent of their Dominican nationality. Individuals of Haitian descent and Haitian migrants have experienced threats and abuse. Journalists and human rights defenders criticizing 168-13 have also dealt with intimidation and threats.

"There are sectors and groups that are trafficking in nationalist sentiment," Diaz told The Huffington Post. "There's racism and a historic anti-Haitianism in this country, so these people want to silence the media who are defending human rights. ... Some people promote a veritable apartheid."

Diaz has been a reporter for nearly four decades in print and television.

On Feb. 3 police said they are executing an investigation into the threats toward the journalists.

Cavada reported being followed on Jan. 10 in a supermarket by an unknown man who called him "traitor of the homeland." The man also shouted, "We are going to kill all traitors, and the first ones will be the journalists."

Deschamps experienced similar threats by a man on Jan. 16 who said, "You are the first one who deserves to be killed. And after that, Huchi and Juan Bolívar. You are all traitors of the homeland." 

An advertising company unsuccessfully attempted to print brochures with caricatures of Diaz and Lora again calling for the death of the traitors.

A televised protest held by nationalists showed protesters calling for the "deserved death" of the four journalists. The journalists filed a lawsuit against Dominican nationalist Luis Diaz after the protests for allegedly instigating the threats during the protests.