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<font size=3><br>
</font><h5><b>Emergency Vigil to Spare the Life of Prime Minister Yvon
Neptune<br><br>
<br>
</i>Monday, 23 May, 2005 12 noon –6 p.m. Oakland Federal
Building 1301 Clay Street, Oakland<br><br>
<br>
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.<br><br>
<br>
Please take a few minutes to respond to the action alert below.
<br><br>
<br>
Then join us next Monday afternoon at the Federal Building.<br><br>
<br><br>
RELEASE YVON NEPTUNE IMMEDIATELY. FREE So ANNE. FREE all
POLITICAL PRISONERS.<br>
END the OCCUPATION of HAITI.<br>
RESTORE CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT to HAITI. <br>
BRING Democratically-Elected President ARISTIDE BACK.<br><br>
<br>
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</h5><font size=3><b>HACtion ALERT:</b> <br><br>
May 17, 2005<br><br>
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.
<br><br>
<br><br>
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.<br><br>
<br><br>
Neptune again surrendered himself to authorities after being removed from
the National Penitentiary at gunpoint in February, again insisting his
case be adjudicated.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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."<br><br>
Please contact Kofi Annan via the UN Human Rights Representative in
Haiti<br>
Mahamane Cisse-Guoro. Tell them to direct the coup government to
release Neptune unconditionally.<br><br>
Mahamane Cisse-Guoro , UN Human Rights Office in Haiti<br>
UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)<br>
mcissegouro@undp.org<br>
cisse-gouro@un.org<br>
PHONE: 011.509.244.9650.9660<br>
FAX: 011.509.244.9366/67<br><br>
Hon. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General<br>
United Nations Headquarters<br>
First Avenue at 46th Street<br>
New York, NY 10017<br>
212-963-5012<br>
inquiries@un.org<br>
Fax No. (212) 963-4879<br><br>
<br>
For more information:
<a href="http://www.haitiaction.net/" eudora="autourl"><u>
www.haitiaction.net</a></u> and
<a href="http://www.ijdh.org/">www.ijdh.org</a><br><br>
<br><br>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
<b><i>Sample letter follows</i>:<br><br>
<br>
</b><i>Mr. Annan and Mr. Cisse-Gouro,<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.]"<br><br>
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.<br><br>
<br>
Sincerely,<br><br>
<br><br>
<br>
</i></font><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
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(415) 863-9977<br>
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