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<font size=3><b>President Jean-Bertrand Aristide Pretoria, South
Africa<br>
Solidarity with Rev. Father Gérard Jean Juste<br><br>
August 31, 2005<br><br>
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</b>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.<br><br>
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?<br><br>
In
Haiti, in order to have elections and not a “selection”, the following
steps must be taken:<br><br>
1. The thousands of Lavalas who are in jail
and in exile must be free to return home.<br><br>
2. The repression that has already killed
over 10,000 people must end immediately.<br><br>
3. Then, there must be national
dialogue.<br><br>
Fr. Jean Juste too has echoed this call for dialogue and peace. He
must be freed. <br><br>
All the political prisoners must be freed. <br><br>
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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<font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
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