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</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=2>Dear CJA Supporters:<br><br>
Our trial against Colonel Carl Dorélien, former member of the Haitian
High Command, will begin on Tuesday, February 20th in federal court in
Miami. Colonel Dorélien was a member of the high command during the
brutal military dictatorship that ruled Haiti from 1991 through 1994.
Dorélien fled Haiti after the dictatorship ended and moved to the U.S. in
1995. Human rights groups became aware of Dorélien’s presence in the U.S.
in 1997 when he won $3.2 million in the Florida lottery.<br><br>
CJA filed the suit against Dorélien on behalf of two courageous
individuals: Lexiuste Cajuste, a union leader severely tortured for
organizing a general strike against the military regime; and a woman
whose husband was killed in an infamous massacre. The suit charges
Dorélien with extrajudicial killing, torture, arbitrary detention and
crimes against humanity. Attached is a copy of the media advisory issued
yesterday.<br><br>
The trial will likely last a week with testimony from CJA’s clients, eye
witnesses, and expert witnesses. CJA’s Legal Director, Matt Eisenbrandt,
and Dwayne Williams of Holland & Knight will be trying the case.
Staff Attorney Moira Feeney and Legal Intern Jeff Graham are also part of
the legal team in Miami.<br><br>
Please keep our clients in your thoughts.<br><br>
Visit our website,
<a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=lt9ow7bab.0.6sc8kwbab.z5aocvbab.2900&ts=S0227&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cja.org">
www.cja.org</a>, for a copy of the complaint and more information on the
case.<br><br>
Best wishes,<br><br>
Pamela Merchant<br>
Executive Director<br><br>
PS: CJA relies on contributions from individuals like you to continue our
work. Please consider making a donation today.
<a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=lt9ow7bab.0.kdu4w7bab.z5aocvbab.2900&ts=S0227&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cja.org%2Fdonate%2Fdonate.shtml.">
http://www.cja.org/donate/donate.shtml</a></font>
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______________________________________________<br><br>
</b>For Immediate Release<br>
February 15, 2007<br><br>
Contact:<br>
Moira Feeney, Staff Attorney, mfeeney@cja.org, (415) 544-0444 x302<br>
Pamela Merchant, Executive Director, pmerchant@cja.org, (415) 544-0444
x307<br><br>
Susan M. Bass, Marketing Communications Manager for Holland & Knight,
LLP susan.bass@hklaw.com, (813) 769-4326<br><br>
<br>
</font><div align="center"><h3><b>TRIAL TO BEGIN IN MIAMI AGAINST FORMER
HAITIAN COLONEL FOR TORTURE, EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLING<br><br>
</b></h3></div>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=2><b>What: </b>The trial against
former Haitian Colonel Carl Dorélien for torture and extrajudicial
killing is scheduled to begin on February 20, 2007 in Miami. The
underlying lawsuit was filed by the Center for Justice &
Accountability (CJA) on behalf of two survivors of human rights abuses.
These courageous individuals have come forward against Colonel Dorélien
to bring to light the atrocities that they and thousands of others
suffered at the hands of the Haitian Armed Forces and death squads. CJA
is joined by the firm of Holland & Knight as co-counsel. The trial is
expected to last approximately one week. <br><br>
<b>Where:</b> U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida,
James Lawrence King Federal Justice Building, 99 NE 4th Street., Miami,
Florida, Courtroom 2, 11th floor. Judge James Lawrence King
presiding.<br><br>
<b>When: </b>Tuesday, February 20, 2007, 9:00 a.m. <br><br>
<b>Who: </b>The defendant, Colonel Dorélien, was a member of the high
command of the Haitian Armed Forces during the military dictatorship in
Haiti from 1991 to 1994. Dorélien’s presence in the U.S. became widely
known after he won $3.2 million in the Florida state lottery in 1997.
<br><br>
The plaintiffs are: Lexiuste Cajuste, head of Haiti’s largest workers’
rights organization during the period of military dictatorship, who was
tortured for demanding the return of Haiti’s democratic government; and,
a woman who lost her husband during an infamous massacre in Haiti in
1994.<br><br>
The plaintiffs are represented by CJA and Holland & Knight. CJA is a
San Francisco-based human rights organization that works to end impunity
by bringing to justice perpetrators of human rights abuses, especially
those who live in or visit the United States.
<a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=lt9ow7bab.0.6sc8kwbab.z5aocvbab.2900&ts=S0227&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cja.org">
www.cja.org</a>. Holland & Knight is among the world's 15 largest law
firms, providing representation in litigation, business, real estate and
governmental law.
<a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=lt9ow7bab.0.cww7v7bab.z5aocvbab.2900&ts=S0227&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hklaw.com">
www.hklaw.com</a><br><br>
<b>Why: </b>CJA Executive Director Pamela Merchant explains, “After
waiting more than 12 years, our clients will finally have their day in
court; one of the many high-ranking members of the Haitian Armed Forces
who found refuge in the U.S. after the restoration of democracy to Haiti,
will have to answer to a U.S. jury for the allegations of widespread and
severe human rights abuses.” <br><br>
For more information and background on the case, please visit
<a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=lt9ow7bab.0.mww7v7bab.z5aocvbab.2900&ts=S0227&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cja.org%2Fcases%2Fdorelien.shtml">
http://www.cja.org/cases/dorelien.shtml</a></font>
<font face="Verdana" size=2 color="#000066"> <br><br>
<br>
Center for Justice and Accountability <br>
<br>
email: <a href="mailto:center4justice@cja.org">center4justice@cja.org</a>
<br>
phone: 415-544-0444 <br>
web:
<a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=lt9ow7bab.0.6sc8kwbab.z5aocvbab.2900&ts=S0227&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cja.org">
http://www.cja.org</a> <br>
</font><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
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