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Law students at Hastings College of the Law lodge a complaint before the
CIDH in the name of former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune<br>
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San Francisco, April 21, 2005</b>. Law Students at the Hastings
College of the Law of California University lodged a complaint together
with Haitian and American lawyers, before the Inter American Commission
of Human Rights (CIDH) in the name of former Haitian Prime Minister Yvon
Neptune. <br><br>
Haiti has been living an unstable political situation since the Coup
d’état that overthrew President Aristide in February 2004. Yvon
Neptune, who was the last constitutional prime minister of Haiti, has
been illegally held in prison since June 2004.<br><br>
Mr. Neptune has been deprived from his freedom for almost a year and was
never heard before a judge, despite the constitutional constraint that
demands that a detainee is not kept over 48 hours without judicial
authorization. «Mr. Neptune’s extended detention has put his life in
great danger, » one law student at Hastings, Kate Orlovsky, explained.
<br><br>
« He escaped at least two murder attempts, as well as a massacre at the
central prison. Last February 20<sup>th</sup>, to protest against his
extended detention and his bad conditions of detention, he began a hunger
strike that ended at the hospital, she recalled. <br><br>
In their complaint, the students demand an immediate action by the CIDH
in order to prevent a greater threat on Mr. Neptune’s life.
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On top of demanding Mr. Neptune’s immediate release from his illegal
detention, the petition demands an international surveillance and
supervision of Haitian prisons. <br><br>
The CIDH will end this Friday a 4-day mission in Haiti where it observed
the situation of human rights. <br><br>
In parallel, the member of the Chamber of Democrat Representatives of
California Maxine Waters demanded Yvon Neptune’s immediate release and
without condition. «He never committed any crime and the unfounded
accusations against him are simply attempts to take away any chances of
being designated as a candidate to presidency. <br><br>
M. Neptune is accused by two organizations known to be close to the
government, the NCHR and the RAMICOS, of being involved in a massacre
that was reportedly committed at the Scierie (Saint-Marc). Leader of the
NCHR, Pierre Espérance declared that the 50 persons who were killed in
the so-called massacre were all reportedly eaten by hungry dogs.<br><br>
The imprisonment and murder of Lavalas members is a tactic used by the
illegitimate government to keep them away from the electoral course next
November. To have true democracy in Haiti, we must make sure that members
of the Lavalas party, including Prime Minister Neptune, can participate
fully and without compromises”, the complaint also declared. <br><br>
For his part, Bill Fletcher Jr., President of the TransAfrica Forum
underlined that the case of Prime Minister Neptune is nothing but a large
comedy. <br><br>
<b>AHP April 21, 2005 12:45 PM<br>
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