23435: (Chamberlain) Human rights groups condemn priest's arrest (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

   By AMY BRACKEN

   PORT-AU-PRINCE, Octv 14 (AP) -- The arrest of a Catholic priest drew
criticism from human rights groups Thursday, who charged that the
U.S.-backed government was illegally trying to suppress support for ousted
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
   But Haiti's justice minister defended the detentions of scores of people
as necessary to curb a recent wave of violence that has killed at least 48
people.
   Human rights activists condemned Wednesday's detention of the Rev.
Gerard Jean-Juste on suspicion of organizing meetings of pro-Aristide
street gang leaders. Police said he was detained at Saint Claire Church by
a squad of masked officers.
   "Arbitrary, strong-arm measures are being used by the government to
suppress dissent," said Jocelyn McCalla, executive director of the National
Coalition for Haitian Rights in New York.
   Justice Minister Bernard Gousse said the detention -- along with others
without warrants -- is legal under Haiti's constitution since it allows
such measures in cases of crimes in progress, "because people are shooting
and burning cars on the streets."
   It came the day after rebel ex-soldiers who led a bloody revolt that
forced Aristide to flee again on Feb. 29 said they had reinforcements
coming to the capital from across the country to help halt the violence.
   There was no sign of the ex-soldiers massing Thursday.
   The former soldiers, and Haiti's business leaders have accused U.N.
peacekeepers, sent to stabilize the country in June, of being ineffective.
   The Brazilian led force has only 3,000 of the 8,000 troops it was
promised when the United Nations took over from U.S. Marines who arrived
the day Aristide fled.
   Police, meanwhile, have reported detaining more than 140 people on
suspicion of involvement in two weeks' of violence since Aristide loyalists
stepped up protests to demand his return from exile in South Africa.
   It was unclear how many remained behind bars Thursday. Police said at
least seven people, including pro-Aristide Senate President Yvon Feuille
and ex-legislator Roudy Herivaux were being held on suspicion of
masterminding the gunbattles and beheadings.
   "People are putting up barricades and burning tires and trying to shoot
at police," Gousse told The Associated Press on Wednesday night. "We are
still in a situation ... in which you can detain perpetrators of these acts
and those who are suspected of organizing them without a warrant."
   He said authorities believed the priest had links to "perpetrators of
the barbaric acts" and that he "was sheltering these people, organizing
meetings in his home with gang leaders."
   On Thursday, as criticism mounted, Gousse denied anyone had been
arrested for opposing the interim government, saying "We are never
arresting people for their political affiliation."
   Human rights lawyer Renan Hedouville argued Jean-Juste -- a vocal
supporter of Aristide -- was arrested illegally.
   "Jean-Juste was not committing a crime at the time of his arrest,"
Hedouville said, adding that would be the only legal justification for
arrest without a warrant.
   "In many recent cases, the arrests have been illegal," said Hedouville,
director of the Lawyers' Committee for Individual Rights.
   Other Aristide allies behind bars include former Prime Minister Yvon
Neptune, who surrendered in June to face accusations he was linked to
killings of opponents during the February rebellion.
   Asked if Neptune had been formally charged -- as Haitian law requires --
Gousse would only say that he has been "formally accused." He declined to
elaborate.
   Human rights activist Ronald Saint-Jean, of the Committee to Defend the
Rights of Haitian People, said the priest's arrest is "part of a plan to
intimidate all those opposed to the government."
   "There is no difference between justice now and what we had under
Aristide," he said.
   U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, a California Democrat who upholds Aristide's
argument that he remains Haiti's elected president, wrote to U.S. Secretary
of State Colin Powell urging "immediate action to protect the life" of
Jean-Juste.
   Haiti's Constitution requires all those arrested be brought before a
judge within 48 hours, but this rarely happens. Prisoners often are held
for long periods without charges because of an understaffed and corrupt
judicial system.