a1690: BBC: Haiti: Ex-President Avril arrested "brutally" as heleft jail with his lawyers (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Robert Benodin <r.benodin@worldnet.att.net>

Haiti: Ex-President Avril arrested "brutally" as he left jail with his
lawyers
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Apr 16, 2002



Yesterday was a nightmare for the former president of the military
government, Prosper Avril, and his family and friends. Soon after he was
released Avril was brutally arrested and taken back to prison in the
presence of his lawyers, who were dumfounded. Wendell Theodore reports as
follows:
[Theodore - recording] Inside as well as outside the central prison
everything seemed to be calm. The general's release had made the news. Both
lawyers, Reynold Georges and Rigaud Duplan, came to get their client out of
prison at 4.00 p.m. [local time]. All the conditions for the case were met
and it could be seen that the general and his lawyers were happy. But,
unfortunately, they did not realize that a jeep was waiting outside with
members of the SWAT Team [the Haitian police's rapid intervention unit] in
it.
Just as he was coming out of the gate Avril was brutally taken away from his
lawyers. Agents of the Intervention and Maintenance of Order Company [CIMO],
who were visibly excited and heavily armed, attempted to handcuff him. The
general tried to resist but without any success. Avril could only shout and
cry.
[Avril, in Creole] Why are you doing this to me? [words indistinct]
[Theodore] The general has been arrested once again. The SWAT Team left
quickly with Avril in their jeep for an unknown destination. The spectacular
intervention of the SWAT Team in front of the National Penitentiary has
provoked stupefaction, emotions and panic. The lawyers, who were speechless,
found it hard to explain what has taken place. Passers-by simply fled the
area. It was a dramatic sight.
History will bear witness that Avril has suffered the same fate as Claude
Raymond. The Aristide-Neptune administration is thus following the examples
of the presidency of Rene Preval. Political prisoner and former General
Raymond was to spend the rest of his life in prison, and for a good number
of years.
According to the arrest warrant given to his lawyers, which also contains
the name of Olivier Nadal and other figures, Avril is accused of taking part
in the Piatre massacre, which took place in 1989.
Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt 16 Apr 02
/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.