23569: Haitian Priest Jailed Indefinitely for 40 Cent Crime (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: radtimes <resist@best.com>

Haitian Priest Jailed Indefinitely for 40 Cent Crime

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1021-23.htm

Published on Thursday, October 21, 2004 by CommonDreams.org
by Bill Quigley

After over a week in jail, the charges against Haitian priest Fr. Gerard
Jean-Juste have finally been made public by the government. Fr. Jean-Juste,
a powerful advocate of the poor, was arrested October 13, 2004, by masked
heavily armed gunmen while feeding 600 children at his parish of St. Claire
in Port au Prince. The unelected government of Haiti has accused him of
providing support for the opposition. At one point they suggested that he
provided "guns and money for terrorists."

But lawyers for Fr. Jean-Juste have finally secured the official government
documents which showing the priest is only charged with "trouble a la ordre
public," disturbing the peace. Under Haitian law, this is a third class
crime, like a traffic ticket, punishable by a fine of up to fifteen gouds,
or forty cents US.

Yet, despite the minimal and artificial charge, Fr. Jean-Juste has not been
released. Though Haitian law gives him the right to appear before a judge
within 48 hours of arrest, no hearing is scheduled at all. Because he has
been an outspoken critic of Haiti's unelected government, his lawyers have
been advised that no judge will hear his case because it is "too
political." Many other political prisoners like him sit in other jail cells
in Haiti – others remain in hiding. Yet Fr. Jean-Juste's courageous Haitian
lawyers continue to seek justice through the courts. No bond is available.

Fr. Jean-Juste now sits in the Haitian national penitentiary with over 1000
others, over 90% waiting to see a judge. Two weeks ago, there were 850
people in that jail. His penitentiary cell is not as crowded as the cell he
shared with 18 others for his first 7 days in prison and he now has a bed.
Though his spirits remain high, he is hurt by his isolation from family,
friends, and most of all his parishioners.

When I spoke to him in the penitentiary, he was glad to find out that the
three small children who were injured by the police in the arrest are still
alive. The children appeared in public for the first time still bandaged
from their wounds. He was cheered by news that Amnesty International, Paul
Farmer, Rep. Maxine Waters and members of Congress, and representatives of
human rights and church groups have taken up the cause of his freedom. But
Fr. Jean-Juste is also quite worried. This is the message he asked me to share.

"I am grateful for all the great support I have received, particularly the
religious, legal and financial support. Please help me continue to provide
the social services to the poorest ones. My parish is located around the
Haitian international airport. I am always begging for good care for the
people as they live in a very crucial area.

"It is very important to care for these people. If they suffer too much
they will become like the neighborhoods like Bel-Air and Cite de Soleil,
and the whole airport area will not be able to be used and all travel will
stop.

"Take care of these people. Do not leave them hungry. Pave the roads to
assist them. Fix the dangerous sewage problems. Taking me away has hurt
them. I thank God I was able to help them with scholarships, food,
clothing, transportation and religious services. But now others must help.

"I love my Haiti. I love my people. It is very important during my absence
to provide them with social services and meet their basic human needs. I do
not want them to be radicalized – please help them. Do some good for them
before it is too late."

When I asked him to say something about himself, he rocked his head back
and laughed. "I love this experience," he said. "I did not know this other
world of prison. I thank God for the grace of placing me in this place. For
the experience of knowing this other world, I forgive my accusers."

As Father Gerard Jean-Juste was taken back to his cell, I thought how
expensive that 40 cent crime was likely to be for the unelected Haitian
government.

*Fr. Jean-Juste asks that anyone who wants to help his parish, send
donations to the parish c/o Margaret Trost and www.whatiffoundation.org For
more information about his legal case, contact Mario Joseph in Haiti c/o
the Institute for Justice and Peace in Haiti at www.ijdh.org or on his cell
at 011.554.4284 or Bill Quigley at duprestars@msn.com or in Haiti at
011.509.401.4822.*

Bill Quigley (duprestars@msn.com) is a professor of law at Loyola
University New Orleans School of Law. He writes from Haiti where he is one
of the attorneys for Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste.

.