[News] Yvon Neptune Close to Death - Emergency Vigil, M, 5/23, 12-6 pm, Oak Fed Bldg

[News at freedomarchives.org]

Emergency Vigil to Spare the Life of Prime Minister Yvon Neptune


Monday, 23 May, 2005   12 noon –6 p.m. Oakland Federal Building  1301 Clay 
Street, Oakland


Now in critical condition, Yvon Neptune edges ever-closer to death after 
refusing food during the past month.  His eyes remain closed.  He no longer 
communicates with those at his bedside.  (Neptune’s first hunger strike 
ended abruptly in March when he collapsed, was rushed to the hospital, and 
revived.)  In response to the call of close friends and family, as well as 
President Aristide, the Haiti Action Committee believes we must do 
everything in our power to bring attention to the injustice of Yvon 
Neptune’s imprisonment, (along with more than a thousand political 
prisoners).  We call on the United Nations to secure Neptune’s immediate, 
unconditional release.


Please take a few minutes to respond to the action alert below.


Then join us next Monday afternoon at the Federal Building.



RELEASE YVON NEPTUNE IMMEDIATELY.  FREE So ANNE.  FREE all POLITICAL PRISONERS.
END the OCCUPATION of HAITI.
RESTORE CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT to HAITI.
BRING Democratically-Elected President ARISTIDE BACK.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HACtion ALERT:

May 17, 2005

Political prisoner Yvon Neptune, Haiti's last constitutionally-elected 
Prime Minister, lies on the verge of death.  Neptune has now initiated two 
hunger strikes, demanding he either be charged or released from 
prison.  The de facto Haitian coup government has jailed him for nearly a 
year in clear violation of Haiti's constitution; Neptune has yet to be 
formally charged, appear before a judge, or have a trial.



In an effort to clear his name, Neptune turned himself in to authorities in 
June 2004 after hearing slanderous allegations against him over the 
radio.  The National Coalition for Haitian Rights-Haiti (NCHR-H) -- a 
widely discredited, USAID funded anti-Aristide group – accused Neptune of 
involvement in the so-called “massacre of La Scierie” in February 
2004.  Independent journalists, as well as U.N. human rights official Louis 
Joinet have dismissed accounts that the massacre ever took place.



Neptune again surrendered himself to authorities after being removed from 
the National Penitentiary at gunpoint in February, again insisting his case 
be adjudicated.

Neptune has vowed to continue his hunger strike until he is either charged 
or released. The illegal "interim" regime of Gerard Latortue could easily 
meet this demand, but refuses. They should concede they have no real case 
against Neptune and release him from prison.

Though recent news reports indicate the Latortue government may fly Neptune 
out of the country, Neptune has long insisted he has no desire to leave 
Haiti. He wants to either face an honest legal process or be released.

Marguerite Laurent of the Haitian Lawyers' Leadership Network, who recently 
visited Neptune in March 2005, and who spoke with his family over the 
weekend, stated, "Mr. Neptune's family stresses that Yvon Neptune would 
never go into exile; that he has repeatedly maintained this position: That 
he is an innocent man, wrongfully accused of a massacre that the UN, the 
international press and reputable human rights organizations say did not 
happen [...] he will not leave prison unless a judge has signed his 
liberation order and acknowledged his innocence of all crimes."

Please contact Kofi Annan via the UN Human Rights Representative in Haiti
Mahamane Cisse-Guoro.  Tell them to direct the coup government to release 
Neptune unconditionally.

Mahamane Cisse-Guoro , UN Human Rights Office in Haiti
UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)
mcissegouro at undp.org
cisse-gouro at un.org
PHONE: 011.509.244.9650.9660
FAX: 011.509.244.9366/67

Hon. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General
United Nations Headquarters
First Avenue at 46th Street
New York, NY 10017
212-963-5012
inquiries at un.org
Fax No. (212) 963-4879


For more information: www.haitiaction.net and 
<http://www.ijdh.org/>www.ijdh.org



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sample letter follows:


Mr. Annan and Mr. Cisse-Gouro,

Prime Minister Yvon Neptune languishes in Haiti’s prison system having 
never been formally charged, never appearing before a judge, nor having the 
benefit of a trial – along with more than a thousand fellow political 
prisoners.  The sensational allegations made against Mr. Neptune have been 
roundly dismissed by journalists and human right s monitors, (including 
U.N. official Louis Joinet ).  Mr. Neptune initiated a hunger strike in 
order to pressure the interim government into either charging him or 
releasing him.  He now lies on the verge of death because the de facto 
Haitian coup government continues to jail him in clear violation of Haiti's 
constitution.

Thierry Fagart, chief of the Haiti U.N. mission's human rights division, 
recently told journalists, "Since the beginning of the procedure until 
today, the fundamental rights, according to national and international 
standards, have not been respected in the case of Mr. Neptune[and Mr. 
Privert.]"

The United Nations is charged with protecting the lives of Haitian 
people.  Please spare the life of Prime Minister Neptune.  SECURE THE 
IMMEDIATE RELEASE YVON NEPTUNE BY HAITI’S COUP GOVERNMENT.


Sincerely,





The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20050519/9b660347/attachment.htm>