8145: Re: the arrest of Avril (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tttnhm@aol.com

Spare me the tears about the former dictator and fugitive from justice, 
Prosper Avril. 

Oh dear, how awful that "the 64-year-old grandfather sits in an overcrowded 
cell at the National Penitentiary in Port-au-Prince...surrounded by dozens of 
common crime perpetrators''. - The Miami Herald. Give me a break.

Yeah, let's forget the past and admire an old soldier's transition from 
dictator to democrat now he has formed a political party - just like we 
should forget about what the FRAPH did (I seem to remember that Toto Constant 
wanted to transform his hired killers into a party), forget about what 
Pinochet did, forget about what the SS concentration camp commanders did. 
Didn't Arkan have political ambitions?

Have any of those worrying about the fate of Avril forgotten that there is an 
almighty struggle against impunity being waged in Haiti. Invaluable work is 
being done by the 30th September Foundation, the Fouindation to Echo the 
Voice of Jean Dominique, the International Lawyers' Office and many others. 

Let's support the struggle against the climate of impunity created during the 
UN supervised transition from the coup regime to democratic government. 

Jean-Claude Duvalier, Michel Francois, Jackson Joanis, Toto Constant AND 
Prosper Avril should be put on trial in Haiti. They should be judged for the 
crimes they are alleged to have committed. (Stanley Theard too - why not?)The 
judicial process should function. The United States should return the 
FRAPH/FADH documents.

There can be no reconciliation without justice. 

Charles Arthur