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<h1><b>Haiti prisoner Father Jean-Juste denied medical treatment by coup
government</b></h1><font size=3>
<a href="http://www.haitiaction.net/News/BQ/8_23_5.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.haitiaction.net/News/BQ/8_23_5.html<br>
</a><b><i>Update on Fr. Jean-Juste medical condition by Bill
Quigley:<br><br>
</i></b>Fr. Jean-Juste remains ill with injuries from his beating at the
church and swelling on both sides of neck and under arms. Johanna
Berrigan, a nurse practitioner from Philadelphia went to visit him today
in Haiti with Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit. Johanna Berrigan was
not allowed to bring in her medical equipment, nor to conduct a real
examination of Fr. Jean-Juste. The US Embassy also went to visit Fr.
Jean-Juste late last week with a physician, but was also denied the
opportunity to perform a medical examination. Please keep the pressure on
the US and Haitian governments to release Fr. Jean-Juste and all the
political prisoners. This is the report of today's visit.<br><br>
<b>Report by Bishop Thomas Gumbleton and Johanna Berrigan of visit on
8.23.05 <br>
with Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste in Haitian National Penitentiary:<br><br>
</b>Bishop Tom Gumbleton and Johanna Berrigan were able to visit with Fr.
Jean Juste for an hour today, Tuesday, August 23,2005. We met with him in
the courtyard of the National Penitentiary. He remains in a small cell in
isolation in a basement area. There is no light in his cell which leaves
him in darkness. There is only one small light outside the cell. There is
no room to lie down, it is dirty and the smell is very bad. He had much
to share with us. He has not been allowed to have any visitors. <br><br>
Fr. Jean Juste is spiritually strong, but he is physically not well. He
appears to have lost some weight. He is clearly in pain. He said "
since the beating, I am suffering so much." He reports a lot of pain
in his neck. He attributes this to the beating at the time of his arrest
at the funeral. ( See Bill Quigley's report of the beating and arrest).
The swelling on both sides of his neck is very obvious. He is also
swollen under his arms. He also suffered from some type of skin rash due
to a chemical that the guards sprayed on him that seems to be getting
better.<br><br>
Fr. Jean-Juste shared with us the details of the accusations, harassment,
and arrest. Although he was the victim of abuse at the funeral where he
was beaten, he is the one prison rather than his attackers. He was taken
to jail on the pretense that it was for his safety.
<a href="http://www.haitiaction.net/News/BQ/../HIP/8_23_5/8_23_5.html">He
remains in prison on charges of " incendiary sermons" and
"public clamor, " which accused him of the murder of Jaques
Roches.</a> Fr. Jean Juste was in Miami at the time of the murder.
<br><br>
He spent only minutes talking about his own condition, then he quickly
proceeded to tell us of his concerns for the other prisoners. He said
"the inhumanity is something unbelievable, I discovered many
injustices." Fr. Jean-Juste shared with us that many have been
arrested arbitrarily and on false accusations. He is very concerned for
the deportees who he says are in a hopeless situation. They have been
deported from the U. S., but they have no representation. He spoke of the
horrible treatment of the prisoners who are mentally ill. They are
receiving no treatment, just more abuse. <br><br>
Fr. Jean-Juste told us many prisoners are planning a hunger strike to
begin Thursday. The demands of the political prisoners and detainees are:
<br><br>
Freedom for all political prisoners. <br><br>
Freedom for all of the deportees <br><br>
Respect for the rights of prisoners based on the U. N. charter for human
rights. <br><br>
Stop the arbitrary arrests and indefinite detention of prisoners.
<br><br>
Allow all prisoners to have Religious services according to their faith
tradition. <br><br>
Stop the beating and mistreatment of prisoners who are mentally ill.
<br><br>
Pere Jean-Juste shared a story of one of the prisoners who is mentally
ill and being held naked under a very hot stairwell. Fr. Jean-Juste said:
"It hurts me so much to see this, please hear our call to give
justice to all." <br><br>
Fr. Jean-Juste continues to be very determined to speak out against all
of the injustice. <br><br>
Fr. Jean-Juste stated that "the de facto government are the real
criminals as they are violating article 21 of the Haitian Constitution.
Instead of reform of justice in the penitentiary system, the de facto
government is abusing their power. There is no due process. Government
officials are using state power to crush innocent citizens. The weaker
you are, the longer you stay. They forget you. They don't even know your
name. We are not protected at all. Anybody in power can point a finger at
you and you disappear." <br><br>
"This government should go and the legitimate government should be
restored to power. All political prisoners should be released, there
should be respect for the human rights of all. I have hope in fighting
the system, I may at some point be released - for the other prisoners,
forget it." <br><br>
Finally, he said "Thanks to all of you who are working for my
release. I was so happy when I heard about the many letters that are
pouring in and about the letter signed by the Congress people. I was so
happy and that is what keeps me going. " He thanked us for the
visit, by the end of the visit he was smiling and said "It feels so
good for my soul to be out of the dungeon even for a little while."
<br><br>
We ended our visit in a circle of prayer where Fr. Jean Juste thanked God
for all of us who are working and helping him in doing God's work of
peace and justice.<br><br>
Letters and faxes calling for Fr. Jean-Juste's freedom are still coming
in for delivery to Haiti.<br><br>
Sample:<br><br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3>US Ambassador to Haiti
<br>
c/o Professor Bill Quigley Loyola University School of Law <br>
7214 St. Charles Avenue, Box 902 <br>
New Orleans, LA 70118<br><br>
Dear Ambassador: Please do everything in your power to persuade the
unelected Haiti government to release Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste from the
Haitian National Prison. Fr. Jean-Juste does not even have any written
charges against him and has already spent more than a month in prison.
Fr. Jean-Juste has been identified as a Prisoner of Conscience by Amnesty
International, Human Rights First and many other human rights
organizations. I know the US can help out. Please help as soon as
possible. <br><br>
Peace, <br><br>
Your name <br>
Address<br><br>
</font><b>mail or fax 504.861.5440.<br><br>
<br><br>
</b>***************************************<br><br>
PRESS RELEASE<br><br>
For Immediate
Release
Contact: Mikael Moore<br><br>
August 23,
2005
(202) 225-2201<br><br>
<br>
CONGRESSWOMAN WATERS SAYS THAT<br>
AMBASSADOR FOLEY WAS RIGHT<br>
ABOUT THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT OF HAITI<br><br>
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep.
Maxine Waters (CA-35) released a statement in response to Ambassador
James B. Foley's comments regarding the interim government of
Haiti. The Congresswoman's statement follows:<br><br>
I commend Ambassador James B. Foley for taking a courageous stand in
support of justice and the rule of law in Haiti prior to his final
departure as the United States Ambassador to that tormented nation.
Ambassador Foley said the interim government of Haiti tarnished the
country's image by releasing convicted killer and death squad leader
Louis-Jodel Chamblain from prison while continuing to detain former Prime
Minister Yvon Neptune.<br>
Time and time again, I have decried the incompetence of the interim
government of Haiti, which continues to be supported by the Bush
Administration. Kidnappings, murder and other crimes have become
widespread in Haiti since the interim government came to power a
year-and-a-half ago. Roads and infrastructure have fallen into
disrepair, and public services have virtually disappeared. The
interim government has done nothing to stem the growing violence in the
country, and it has done nothing to make millions of dollars in promised
aid from international donors available to the Haitian people. Just
about the only thing the interim government has done is jail hundreds of
political prisoners.<br><br>
Yvon Neptune is one of these political prisoners. He served as
Haiti's prime minister prior to the February 2004 coup d'etat, and he is
now the most prominent member of Lavalas, the largest political party in
Haiti. The interim government arrested him over a year ago without
charges and continues to detain him without a trial. Twenty-eight
Members of Congress called for his release in letters sent to President
Bush last May. <br><br>
Another one of these political prisoners is Father Gerard Jean-Juste, a
widely-respected Catholic priest. Prior to his arrest last month,
Father Jean-Juste operated a soup kitchen for hungry children, one of the
few social services available in a country whose government has abdicated
its responsibilities. Amnesty International declared him a prisoner
of conscience, and twenty-nine Members of Congress signed a letter
calling for his release. Other prominent political prisoners in
Haiti include former Interior Minister Jocelerme Privert and Haitian
singer Anne Auguste, both of whom have been detained without a trial for
over fifteen months.<br><br>
There is a growing consensus that there can be no free and fair elections
in Haiti under the violent conditions that exist today.
Nevertheless, the interim government is determined to hold elections in
November of this year, despite rampant violence and the continuing
imprisonment of Lavalas party leaders. Under these circumstances,
it is hard to believe that the Haitian people would ever accept the
results of the elections. Suspicion is already widespread that the
interim government's real motive in keeping Prime Minister Neptune and
Father Jean-Juste behind bars is to prevent them from running for
office.<br><br>
The interim government's decision to let death squad leader Louis-Jodel
Chamblain out of prison must be seen in light of the upcoming
elections. Chamblain's history of organizing violence against
political activists is enough to make any potential candidate afraid to
run for office. Setting him free three months before the elections
could possibly further endanger potential Lavalas candidates and lead to
incidents like the 1994 Raboteau massacre, a brutal massacre in a
low-income neighborhood, for which Chamblain was later
convicted.<br><br>
We may never know why James B. Foley left his post as the Ambassador to
Haiti. We may hope he decided that he could not in good conscience
continue to stand by while the interim government imprisons potential
candidates and allows violent criminals to control the countryside.
Perhaps he grew tired of operating an embassy with a skeleton staff after
other personnel returned to the United States to escape the escalating
violence. <br><br>
What we do know is that there can never be free and fair elections in
Haiti as long as thugs and killers are allowed to roam free and innocent
priests and politicians remain behind bars.<br>
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