[News] Haiti: update

Wed May 12 19:57:01 EDT 2004

AHP News – May 11, 2004 - English translation (Unofficial)

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The Lavalas activist Annette Auguste was not  brought before a judge this 
Tuesday: Judge Brédy Fabien was absent from the court house and is accused 
of  playing along with the power games of  Latortue

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Port-au-Prince, May 11, 2004 -(AHP)- Fanmi Lavalas activist  Annette 
Auguste (Sò Anne) was not brought before a judge this Tuesday at the Court 
of Peace for the Eastern Section  due to the absence of the judge in charge 
of the case, Brédy Fabien.

Madame Auguste was arrested by US members of the multinational force at her 
home during the night on Sunday on the basis of an accusation that she had 
made threats against the multinational force, according to its public 
affairs officer, Lt. Col. Dave Lapan. However the National Coalition for 
Haitian Rights (NCHR) claims she was arrested because of an allegation that 
she was involved in the violent incidents of December 5, 2003, at the 
School of Social Sciences.

A group of women who came to provide support to Sò Anne denounced the 
behavior of Judge Brédy Fabien whom they accused of seeking to prolong the 
detention of Ms.Auguste.

The women chanted slogans against the interim authorities whom they accused 
of violating human rights and of resorting to extremely vile maneuvers to 
justify their campaigns of persecution against Lavalas.

The women also called on the interim government and its supporters to 
remember that they do not enjoy any constitutional legitimacy.

The lawyer representing Sò Anne, Mr. Patrick Laurent, also denounced Judge 
Brédy Fabien, who, he said, is an instrument at the service of the Latortue 
government.

Judge Fabien is in the process of playing politics with this case”, snapped 
Mr. Laurent, who also said he expects that the Haitian justice system will 
take a long time to free itself from the grip of political power.

In the eyes of Mr. Laurent, the procedure used by the U.S. military to 
carry out the arrest of Annette Auguste is no different from State 
delinquency and thuggish behavior.

Members of Sò Anne’s family said that grenades were utilized along with 
extensive destruction of property during the military operation.

The director of the National Human Rights and Peace Network, Raymond St 
Clair , condemned the behavior of Judge Brédy Fabien, who is charging ahead 
with the execution of the four principal wishes of the Latortue government.

Mr. Raymond said he had visited a number of the country’s detention 
facilities  and had found several cases of detention of Fanmi Lavalas 
supporters who were victims of the political persecution launched against 
that sector.

He also denounced the illegal detention of senior officials and supporters 
of Fanmi Lavalas, who don’t event have a right to receive visits by members 
of their families. He cited as examples the cases of the former Interior 
Minister,  Jocelerme Privert and of Harold Sévère and Anthony Nazaire.

AHP May 11, 2004 1:10 PM

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A sister of  Sò Anne who was also arrested during the US military operation 
Sunday night threatens to file a complaint against the United States

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Port-au-Prince, May 11, 2004  (AHP)- Raymonde Auguste, an older sister of 
the Fanmi Lavalas activist Annette Auguste, called Tuesday for the 
immediate and unconditional release of her sister.

Sò Anne was arrested Sunday night around midnight by American soldiers from 
the multinational force deployed in Haiti.

Minimizing the accusations, such as conspiracy, made against her sister, 
Raymonde Auguste, asked why the accusers had not proceeded to arrest her at 
the place where she was hatching these alleged plots.

Mme. Auguste, a U.S. ciizen, also said that her home, which is located on 
the same plot of land as that of  Sò Anne, suffered considerable material 
damage during the operation. She indicated that she intends to file a 
complaint backing the United States against the authors of these acts.

Raymonde Auguste denounced the brutal procedures that were utilized, she 
said, by the soldiers of the multinational force to arrest Sò Anne and the 
members of her family.

She expressed outrage at the fact that even a framed photograph of her 
mother was smashed.

Also arrested herself during the operation, the sister of  Sò Anne spoke of 
grave violations of her rights as a U.S. citizen.

AHP May 11, 2004 2:30 PM

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Further criticism of the arrests and persecution of senior Fanmi Lavalas 
officials and activists

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Port-au-Prince, May 11, 2004 -(AHP)- The attorney Reynold Georges 
criticized Tuesday the arrest of the Fanmi Lavalas activist Annette 
Auguste, known as Sò Anne by the multinational force as being an arbitrary 
act.

According to the Haitian Constitution, any arrests must be carried out 
between the hours of 6 AM and 6 PM, except in a case where the suspect is 
caught by law enforcement officials in the act of committing a crime, said 
Mr. Georges, and, he continued, that provision must be followed when a 
judicial warrant is being executed.

He said he was outraged that the multinational force acted in a completely 
illegal manner, in violation of the laws of the land.

For his part, the former deputy from Trou du Nord, Rudy Hérivaux, said he 
sees in this wave of arrests and the hunting down of supporters of Fanmi 
Lavalas, a campaign aimed at the systematic dismantling of the party.

Mr. Hérivaux called for the immediate and unconditional release of senior 
officials and activists of Fanmi Lavalas who were illegally arrested.

He also said he could not understand how a government and individuals who 
recently spoke out once again against alleged dictatorial practices  and 
who affirmed their desire to create democracy, would today become gleefully 
mired in blind repression against the supporters of Fanmi Lavalas.

The leader of  the RDC party (Rally of Christian Democrats), Eddy Volel, 
called on provisional President Alexandre Boniface to dismiss the Latortue 
government on grounds of incompetence and bad faith

According to Eddy Volel, the current government has no intention of working 
to improve living conditions for the population.

He called for a mobilization by the population in order to force the 
Latortue government to step down as soon as possible.

AHP May 11, 2004  12:05 PM

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