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<font size=3><br><br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3><b>Urgent Action Alert
-- from the Haiti Action Committee<br><br>
</font><font size=5>Demand release of US Filmmaker Kevin Pina and Haitian
Journalist Jean Ristil! Stop arbitrary arrests and detentions!<br><br>
</b></font><font size=3>On Friday September 9, at approximately 3 p.m.,
Haitian police wearing black masks from the Delmas police station entered
Father Gerard Jean-Juste's St. Claire church and began searching the
presbytery, according to people at the church. Rev. Jean-Juste is a
leading advocate of human rights in Haiti and an Amnesty
International-designated prisoner of conscience. Upon seeing the police
invade the church, people called as many journalists as they could. <br>
<br>
US filmmaker and journalist Kevin Pina and Haitian journalist Jean
Ristil<b> </b>Jean-Baptiste responded to the call, arrived at the scene
to cover the story, and were arrested. The police brought both
journalists to the Delmas 33 police station where they remain
incarcerated. <br>
<br>
According to an AP dispatch in Newsday, Pina was detained "after
filming the police as they searched the church of the Rev. Jean-Juste.
Jean Ristil, a Haitian who was working for the Associated Press, was
detained as he tried to photograph the arrest."<br><br>
A US human rights team went to the lock-up unit Friday night to attempt
to clarify the reasons for the arrest and to ensure that the two men were
being properly treated. <br>
<br>
Kevin is one of the few US journalists who have consistently dared to be
on the scene in Haiti and to tell the truth about the repression
occurring under the coup regime. Jean is a courageous and professional
young Haitian journalist. Both journalists were arrested on September 9th
while covering this important development in the persecution of Father
Jean-Juste, who is being held as a political prisoner. <br>
<br>
Jean Ristil and Kevin Pina need your immediate support to protect their
lives, obtain their release from captivity, and ensure their ability to
continue doing their job as journalists without any further threats,
harassment or intimidation.<br>
<br><br>
Please email, call and/or fax the following UN and US officials over the
weekend and again on Monday.<br><br>
<u>US Officials on Haiti:<br>
</u>U.S. Charge d'Affaires, Timothy Carney<br>
United States Embassy, Port-au-Prince, Haiti<br>
Telephones: 011-509-223-4711, or 222-0200 or 0354<br>
Fax: 011-509-223-1641 or 9038<br>
Email to Dana Banks, Human Rights Officer:<br>
</font><font size=3 color="#003399">
<a href="http://us.f331.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=BanksD@state.gov">
BanksD@state.gov</a><br>
</font><font face="arial" size=2><b>OVER THE WEEKEND -- Call
011-509-222-0200 and press "0" for emergency, to get a live
person</b>.<br><br>
</font><font size=3><u>UN Leadership in Haiti:<br>
</u>Juan Gabriel Valdes<br>
Special Representative of the UN Sec.-General to Haiti<br>
Ph: 011-509-244-9650<br>
Fax: 011-509-244-3512<br>
</font><font size=3 color="#003399">
<a href="http://us.f331.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=valdes@un.org">
valdes@un.org<br><br>
</a></font><font size=3><u>UN Civilian Police in Haiti:<br>
</u>Graham Muir, Chief, UNPOL <br>
</font><font size=3 color="#003399">
<a href="http://us.f331.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=muir@un.org">
muir@un.org<br><br>
</a></font><font size=3><u>UN Human Rights Officials in Haiti:<br>
</u>Thierry Fagart<br>
Ph: 011- 509-510-3183 ext. 6360<br>
</font><font size=3 color="#003399">
<a href="http://us.f331.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=fagart@un.org">
fagart@un.org<br><br>
</a></font><font size=3><u>Officials of the Haiti's de facto regime:<br>
</u>Henri Dorleans, Minister of Justice<br>
011-509-245-5856<br><br>
For a more complete list of people to contact and for more information on
this situation, go to:<br>
</font><font size=3 color="#003399"><a href="http://www.haitiaction.net/">
www.haitiaction.net<br>
</a></font><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
</font><font size=3>
<a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">
www.freedomarchives.org</a></font></body>
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