[News] Aristide Solidarity with Rev. Father Gérard Jean Juste

[Anti-Imperialist News]

President Jean-Bertrand Aristide  Pretoria, South Africa
Solidarity with Rev. Father Gérard Jean Juste

August 31, 2005

             After more than a month in jail, the health of Rev. Fr. Gérard 
Jean Juste is deteriorating.  Once again I join my voice to the voices of 
many calling for his release.  His unlawful detention, alongside the 
unlawful detention of thousands of political prisoners in Haiti, 
demonstrates a clear determination to exclude Lavalas, or the huge majority 
of Haitian people, from participating in free, fair and democratic elections.

             Again we must ask:  In 1994, who could have expected free, 
fair and democratic elections in South Africa with Nelson Mandela, Govan 
Mbeki, Oliver Tambo and other leaders and members of the African National 
Congress in jail, exile or in hiding?

             In Haiti, in order to have elections and not a “selection”, 
the following steps must be taken:

1.      The thousands of Lavalas who are in jail and in exile must be free 
to return home.

2.      The repression that has already killed over 10,000 people must end 
immediately.

3.      Then, there must be national dialogue.

Fr. Jean Juste too has echoed this call for dialogue and peace.  He must be 
freed.

All the political prisoners must be freed.

Dialogue leading to peace through the restoration of constitutional order – 
this is the will of the Haitian people.  After 200 years of independence it 
is clear that from this dialogue will emerge a new Haiti.





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