[News] Haiti - So Ann has been released from prison

[Anti-Imperialist News]

So Ann is finally RELEASED from prison in Haiti

So Ann (Annette August) who has been in prison 
for over two years (since May 10, 2004) is in the 
process of being RELEASED. Apparently the Haitian 
police are escorting her home as I write this 
(8:21pm) This is the latest information we've 
received from Haiti. We are on the phone with 
Haiti righ now. Our Haiti contact was at the Palè 
Jistis, at a hearing where So Ann, along with 
others, including  Yvon Zap Zap, Paul Raymond, 
and George Honore have had their cases examined by the judicial authorities.

The hearing has been going on most of the day. 
According to our Haiti contact, who knows that 
HLLN was the first to report and write about So 
Ann's arrest and has been very anxious to see her 
release, the Haitian judge in charge has found 
that there is NO EVIDENCE whatsoever to hold So 
Ann in prison. (See, HLLN's report on the arrest 
of Sò Ann and the May 12, 2004 Urgent Action 
Alert: Defenseless Haitian Children hooded and 
manacled (ala Iraqi prisoner/terrorists 
treatment) by US Marines in the dead of night in 
Haiti 
http://www.margueritelaurent.com/campaigns/campaignone/presswork/so_anne_arrestupdate.html
  ;http://www.sfbayview.com/051204/soanne051204.shtml 
and See Conspiracy of Not, by Ezili Danto, May 
13, 2004 http://www.margueritelaurent.com/pressclips/conspiracy.html)

According to all the inquiries and investigations 
presented by the prosecuting folks in Haiti, the 
determination is that there was no legal reason 
for So Ann to have been put in jail in the first 
place. For instance, our Haiti contact explains 
that no one showed up to testify against these 
defendants. For example, our contact who was in 
the courtroom reports that Charles Henri Baker 
was one of the folks who had filed a complaint 
against So Ann for the Dec. 5, 2003 University 
incident. Apparently all those who signed 
complaints against So Ann, including Charles 
Henri Baker, and all those who filed complaints 
for the other three in court today, simply did 
not show up in court to prove their claims when 
their names where called up and allegations read. 
Apparently Haitian defense attorney Mario Joseph 
was well prepared and showed medical records to 
show where So Ann was on December 5, 2004 and 
other evidence that exonerated all the wrongfully 
and illegally held detainees. According to our 
latest report, the only folks who showed up in 
court where the supporters of the detainees. 
Again, none of the folks who signed complaints 
against So Ann and the others showed up to litigate their claims.


After hearing all of Mario Joseph evidence, the 
government prosecutor (Commissaire  Gouvernment) 
asked that So Ann and all the prisoners be 
immediately released to go to their homes and be with their families.

Our Haiti contact's understanding is that the 
prisoners will go to their homes directly and not 
back to prison to be processed out. Apparently 
the necessary documents have been all signed. 
Tomorrow apparently is Yvon Zap Zap's wife's 
birthday and many Haitian folks are finally 
starting to feel today was a good day for Haiti.

Stay tuned for further HLLN details on this 
developing story. Let your friends know a glimmer 
of hope came  through today for Haitian women and Haiti.

Marguerite Laurent, Esq.
Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network
August 14, 2006, 8:21 p.m.

*******************************************
HLLN BACKGROUND INFORMATION
********************************************

Letter from Jail, Annette (Sò Ann) Auguste
- May 10, 2005


May 10, 2004, May 10, 2005:

Twelve months since I was arrested by the U.S. 
Marines in Port-au-Prince. They accused me of 
having contact with Haitian Muslims and planning 
to attack them. On May 10, 2004, the U.S. Marines 
assaulted, brutally, my home in the middle of the 
night with explosives and large arms; terrorizing 
all within, especially the small children of my family.

I speak to the world as a prisoner of conscience 
in Haiti, held in detention for my political 
beliefs and convictions. I can never forget the 
trauma these men have caused to the youngest and 
most vulnerable of our household. I think none of 
us will ever be able to forget the inhuman 
treatment we were subjected to in the course of 
this violent action undertaken in the name of the 
Bush government for what it calls “BUILDING DEMOCRACY” in my homeland.

 From my cell, I am giving hope by the many 
voices being raised against the injustice the 
people of Haiti are being forced to suffer today. 
I am grateful to Congresswoman Maxine Waters and 
countless others who have stood up in solidarity 
with the Haitian people in order to stop the 
bloodletting and help the outside world to know 
the truth and reality we are faced today.

I send you all my love and gratitude for 
remaining strong in separating the lies from the 
truth in Haiti’s current situation. I send you 
all my blessings as a free Haitian woman fighting 
for the rights of the impoverished majority in my homeland.

They may imprison my body, but they will never 
imprison the truth I know in my soul. I will 
continue to fight for justice and truth in Haiti until I draw my last breath.

ANNETTE AUGUSTE (Sò An)
May 10, 2005
Penitentiary of Pétion-Ville (Haiti)

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/20060815/4dfea826/attachment.htm>