12212: Reporters Without Borders - Two journalists imprisoned (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tttnhm@aol.com

31.05.02 - HAITI

Two journalists imprisoned

Reporters Without Borders expressed its concern today at the illegal
detention of two Haitian journalists who have been jailed since 27
May with serious injuries and without being charged. "The reasons for
their arrest and current situation must be urgently clarified," said
Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard in a letter
to Haitian justice minister Jean-Baptiste Brown. He called for them
to be freed at once or else immediately brought before a judge if
they were going to be charged with an offence. He also urged that
they be given necessary medical treatment.

The two reporters, Darwin Saint Julien, of the weekly paper Haïti
Progrès, and Allan Deshommes, of Radio Atlantik, were seriously
injured and then arrested by police on 27 May while covering a
demonstration organised by the Batay Ouvriyè (Workers' Struggle)
group in the northern town of Saint Raphael. Armed men, apparently
sent by a big local landowner, and local officials attacked the
protesters, killing two people, while seven others, including the
journalists, were arrested.  The reporters were told they were being
arrested "for their own protection." Despite their serious injuries,
they were imprisoned and on 29 May, all seven were taken by
helicopter to the capital, Port-au-Prince, and placed in the National
Penitentiary. Neither the journalists nor the five other people have
been charged with anything and are therefore being held illegally,
beyond the two-day period in which charges have to be made. The
National Penitentiary, notorious for ill-treatment of prisoners, is
only meant for those who have been tried. The mayor of Saint Raphael,
Adonija Sévère, claimed the demonstrators and the journalists were
"terrorists."

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