<html>
<body>
<font size=3><br><br>
Despite elections held under foreign occupation,<br>
Haiti’s poor majority against enormous odds showed<br>
their determination to return Haiti to sovereign and<br>
Democratic rule by electing Mr. Rene Preval as their<br>
President. This powerful grassroots mobilization<br>
ushered in a new stage in Haiti’s fight for democracy.<br>
Now is the time to step up our efforts to guarantee<br>
freedom for all of Haiti’s political prisoners.<br><br>
In February 2004, a coup d’etat orchestrated by the<br>
US, France and Canada overthrew President<br>
Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s democratically elected<br>
government and his agenda of social justice and<br>
economic progress for Haiti’s majority. Since then,<br>
these forces, joined by other UN occupation forces<br>
(known by their acronym, MINUSTAH) alongside the<br>
US-imposed interim government (IGH) have presided over<br>
the country, while thousands of grassroots community<br>
activists have been murdered or disappeared, and many<br>
others tortured, jailed or driven into exile.<br><br>
Human rights agencies report that over 1800 Haitian<br>
prisoners have never been convicted of a crime. Only<br>
4% of prisoners have been sentenced. Among those<br>
jailed for nearly two years are key members of<br>
President Aristide’s government, grassroots activists,<br>
trade unionists, members of the Lavalas movement, and<br>
Haitian citizens from poor neighborhoods. Some were<br>
arrested by US troops, others by UN forces, still<br>
others by the UN-trained Haitian National Police, at<br>
times under the direct command of MINUSTAH. Some may<br>
not survive their harsh prison conditions. Their<br>
release has become the outspoken demand of Haiti’s<br>
popular movement, and of progressive forces around the<br>
world. <br><br>
With this weekly bulletin, the Haiti Action Committee<br>
continues our campaign to demand the immediate release<br>
of the political prisoners. Each week we will explain<br>
the story of a different prisoner and provide an<br>
action to take on their behalf.<br><br>
Prime Minister Yvon Neptune<br><br>
Mr. Yvon Neptune -- Haiti's most recent constitutional<br>
Prime Minister, member of the Fanmi Lavalas movement,<br>
and political prisoner -- has been in prison without<br>
trial since June 2004. During that time, he survived<br>
two reported assassination attempts, a December 2004<br>
massacre by guards and police in a nearby cellblock,<br>
and a February 2004 prison break in which he was<br>
removed from the prison at gunpoint.<br><br>
Mr. Neptune undertook his first hunger strike, which<br>
he ended in March 2005 after three weeks, to insist<br>
the interim government of Haiti (IGH) either bring his<br>
case to trial or release him. US Congresswoman Maxine<br>
Waters visited Mr. Neptune in his prison cell shortly<br>
afterwards and brought back news of Mr. Neptune’s dire<br>
medical condition and his determined demand for<br>
justice. Currently, he maintains his fast, consuming<br>
only liquids. <br><br>
The IGH keeps Neptune in jail for a case it declines<br>
to pursue and cannot prove. It continues his<br>
imprisonment despite a worldwide mobilization for his<br>
release. Human rights groups, the CARICOM countries,<br>
religious leaders, 25 US Congresspersons and ordinary<br>
citizens throughout the world have called on the IGH<br>
to send Mr. Neptune to trial or let him go free. <br><br>
On February 21st, 2006, marking the 300th day of his<br>
fast for justice, Mr. Neptune sent a letter urging the<br>
immediate release of all the political prisoners by<br>
the US-backed interim government, saying that “Annette<br>
Auguste (So An), all of the political prisoners, as<br>
well as myself, were not sent to jail by the<br>
judiciary. An unjust machine empowered by a coup<br>
d’etat perpetrated this criminal deed.”<br><br>
Demand the immediate release of Mr. Yvon Neptune and<br>
all political prisoners! <br><br>
Contact:<br><br>
Thomas A. Shannon<br>
Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs<br>
US Department of State<br>
E-mail: shannonta@state.gov<br>
Phone: 1-202-647-5780 <br><br>
Thierry Fagart,<br>
Director, MINUSTAH Human Rights Section<br>
E-mail: fagart@un.org<br>
Phone: 011-509-403-4012<br>
</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>
</html>