21435: Esser: Lavalas supporters are murdered and persecuted in Jeremie (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

Agence Haďtienne de Presse

April 15, 2004

Lavalas supporters are murdered and persecuted in Jérémie

Jérémie, April 15, 2004 -(AHP)- Jérémie's population denounced
Thursday a campaign of murders and persecutions orchestrated against
them by supporters of the former opposition since President Jean
Bertrand Aristide's hasty departure.

Many citizens have already been illegally arrested and held in
detention in subhuman conditions, when they are not killed, local AHP
journalist reported. None of them has been handed to his or her
natural judge so far.

Coordinator of the National Movement for Human Rights Defense Me
Elmira Frédéric declared that he has already taken legal actions with
judicial authorities of this region in order to make them look at the
case of these people as fast as possible. According to Elmira
Frédéric, the case of each of these prisoners will have to be
analyzed in order to reach a fair justice decision for each case.

Jérémie's police station is now used as a civil prison by the
authorities since February 29th. The prisoners eat and relieve
themselves almost at the same place because the police station is so
small.

Many residents of Jérémie also denounced the fact that the names of
most of the persons killed or persecuted after February 29th have
been told on the air.
.