a1522: Justice for Jean Dominique: a Message of Solidarity (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tttnhm@aol.com

Justice for Jean Dominique - Two Years On: a Message of Solidarity with
Haitian Organizations Working for Justice

(N.B. For media purposes, this statement is embargoed until April 3)

April 3 - The Committee for Justice for Duvalier, the Haiti Support Group,
Human Rights Watch, the International Legal Resources Centre, Rights &
Democracy, Trocaire, the Washington Office on Latin America, and the World
Association on Christian Communication, express their solidarity with the
Jean Dominique Echo Foundation, as well as with all the Haitian organizations
working for justice and an end to impunity.  Two years ago today, paid
assassins executed Jean Dominique, director of Radio Haiti Inter in
Port-au-Prince and Jean-Claude Louissaint, night watchman of the radio
station, in the belief that they could silence the voice of those who speak
out for freedom of expression and democracy.

In solidarity with the Jean Dominique Echo Foundation, the Association of
Haitian Journalists, and the Platform of Haitian human rights organizations,
we renew our call for justice in this case.  Justice for Jean Dominique means
hope for all Haitians who live with the constant threat of violence and
insecurity, a hope for respect for human rights and an end to impunity.

We urge the Haitian government to respond to the demands already articulated
by the above named Haitian organizations:

·   We applaud the work already carried out by the investigating Judge Claudy
Gassant, despite the difficult conditions in which he has had to work. We
call on President Aristide to reconsider his decision not to renew Judge
Gassant's mandate in this case, a move that would send a clear political
signal of his resolve to achieve justice for Jean Dominique.

·   We call again for Senator Dany Toussaint to be stripped of his
parliamentary immunity.  His voluntary appearance in court in February is not
enough to ensure that the investigation currently underway will reveal the
whole truth about the murder of Jean Dominique.

·   We welcome the arrest of the so-called popular leader Ronald Camille,
known as "Ronald Kadav", on the grounds of a warrant issued for his arrest
several months ago.  Nonetheless, we reiterate the call of Haitian human
rights organizations who are calling for the implementation of warrants
against the security guards of Senator Dany Toussaint, Richard 'Chacha'
Salomon and Frank Joseph.  These individuals are not above the law, and the
judicial system's failure to carry out warrants against them only adds to the
prevailing climate of impunity in the country.

·   In order to put an end to the state of impunity in the country, the
government should initiate a disarmament campaign.  According to information
gathered by Haitian human rights organizations, the elected officials of the
Lavalas Family and representatives of "popular organizations" close to that
party are often implicated in the most flagrant violation of Haitian laws on
possession of firearms.  We reiterate the demands of our Haitian colleagues
who have urged that the disarmament campaign should begin with these elected
officials and organizations.

·   We also restate the call of the Haitian organizations for an inquiry into
the crowd killing on 9 November 2001 of Panel Rénélus, a suspect in the Jean
Dominique case, dragged out of the police station in Léogâne and lynched by a
mob.  The inquiry into this incident initiated by Judge Gassant must be
relaunched and those responsible must face justice, including the police
officers who neglected to protect the victim.

·   We denounce again the calls made last June by the Head of State for "Zero
Tolerance"; such calls have only diminished the rule of law and bred a
climate of fear.  Using the Haitian organizations' slogan "Zero tolerance
against intolerance", we urge that freedom of expression and association
should be respected, particularly during this period when Haitians will be
mobilizing to demand justice in the case of the assassination of Jean
Dominique.

We declare once again our solidarity with the Jean Dominique Echo Foundation,
the Platform of Haitian human rights organizations and the Association of
Haitian Journalists as well as with all the other organizations struggling
for justice in this case.  We call on the government to guarantee security
and the physical integrity of these brave workers who are working for full
respect for the human rights of all Haitians.

Signed by:

Comité pour juger Duvalier   - Paris
Haiti Support Group - London
Human Rights Watch - New York
International Centre for Legal Resources - Montreal
Rights & Democracy (International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic
Development) - Montreal
Trocaire (The Irish Catholic Agency for World Development) - Dublin
Washington Office on Latin America - Washington D.C.
World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) - London