Message from a Jailed Priest in Haiti
by Bill Quigley, lawyer of Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste
Oct. 18, 2004
Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste shares a
small dark jail cell with 18 other men in Haiti . Their bathroom
is a smelly bucket in the corner of the cell -open for all to
see. When I visit him it is 96 degrees outside and much hotter
inside. A prisoner who wants water or food must purchase it. There
are no beds. At night they lie on the floor and try to keep the
mice off. There is no water for bathing and no time outside the
cell.
The priest's crime? He has been an outspoken leader
of the movement calling for the return of Haiti 's elected President,
Jean Betrand Aristide, who was forced out of the country in a
coup in February 2004.
On Wednesday, October 13, 2004 , Fr. Gerard was
dragged out of his rectory at St. Claire's Catholic Church in
Port au Prince by masked heavily armed men. The men were dragging
him and firing rifles and pistols at the crowd gathered to support
their parish priest. Handcuffed, he was thrown bleeding into the
back of a car and was sped away to jail, where he has been ever
since.
There are no formal charges against Fr. Jean-Juste.
He has not seen a judge and it is not clear he ever will. No judge
will review his case because it is "too political." The police
wrote down that he is jailed for "disturbing the peace." The unelected
government of Haiti says he was "aiding the uprising" and that
they have all the evidence they need to hold him.
This pastor joins a growing number of political
prisoners in Haiti . The prime minister, the minister of the interior,
the former mayor of Port au Prince, a member of parliament or
two, a prominent woman folk singer and activist, are all in jail
cells in Haiti . None have a date for a trial. None expect to
have trials. Since overthrowing Haiti 's elected government in
February 2004, the unelected government, supported by the US ,
has ignored Haiti 's laws and constitution. Fr. Jean-Juste is
but the latest prominent victim.
I met Fr. Gerard two weeks ago while visiting Haiti
on a human rights mission for Pax Christi USDA, the catholic peace
movment. When I first saw him, he was in the middle of feeding
600 children their only real meal of the day. Later that evening,
he told us, " Haiti has gone too far in being violent to our sisters
and brothers. We must kneel down, ask forgiveness and start over."
(Our report is posted at www.paxchristiusa.org). Two weeks later,
during the same Wednesday meal for 600 children, he was arrested.
But Fr. Jean-Juste is far from defeated. Through the metal bars
separating us, he smiled and whispered, "Like St. Paul and St.
Peter, my body is in jail, but my spirit is free!" When I asked
him what message he had for the people who support democracy in
Haiti , he leaned forward, a rosary around his neck, and said
without hesitation:" Insist that we return to constitutional order
in Haiti . Demand freedom for all political prisoners. Respect
the human rights of everyone. Pledge to respect the vote of the
people. Advocate for the return of President Aristide so he can
finish his electoral mandate through February 2006."
Those who care about human rights and democracy
must listen to the message of the jailed priest. And we must also
consider the question, "If the unelected government does this
to a priest, how are they treating the regular people?" Human
rights workers in Haiti say the only way Fr. Jean-Juste is going
to get justice is if the international community, especially the
US , demands it. We must listen to the message of the jailed priest.
And we must advocate for justice for Fr. Jean-Juste and for all
the people of Haiti .
Bill Quigley is a law professor at Loyola
University New Orleans School of Law.
He writes this from Port au Prince. Bill is one of the lawyers
representing Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste.
PLEASE call/fax and include the following
in your appeal:
The Haitian police force must
- stop the acts of terror and arrests being carried out in poor
neighborhoods;
- stop the indiscriminate killings of innocent civilians;
- stop the removal of the wounded from medical establishments;
- ensure the protection of all individuals in the country; and
- act according to the rule of law when conducting operations:
the right to life belongs to everyone and those suspected of crimes
must be arrested and tried within established rules and procedures.
While those at high official level or status are arrested and
detained (the arbitrary methods of these arrests must of course
be denounced), those who are the poorest and without any kind
of protection or assistance are being killed or disappeared without
the possibility of establishing their innocence or guilt –
this is clearly discriminatory against the poor.
The UN peacekeeping force must
- ensure protection to all: it must not only offer back-up to
the police but must protect the population against the police
and other armed groups;
- carry patrols in these poor neighborhoods day and night; and
- work with the authorities and with human rights and grassroots
organizations to find immediate and long term solutions to the
ongoing violence in Haiti:
The Haitian interim government must:
- immediately free Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste and all political prisoners
in Haiti - ensure that the rule of law is observed;
- disarm ALL armed civilian groups in the country; and
- ensure medical treatment is provided to all those injured: medical
establishments must remain protected at all times to allow every
individual free and safe access to treatment.
UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)
PHONE: (509) 244 9650 - 9660
FAX: (509).244 9366/67
UN Human Rights Advisor in Haiti : Mahamane
Cisse –Gouro
Tel: (509) 244 -9350 (to 65)
Fax: (509) 244-9366 / 244-9367
OAS Special Mission in Haiti
(509) 245 5437; 244-6695; 244-6696;
Fax 244-6697
Office hours : 8.30am - 4.00pm
OAS office in Haïti
(509) 249-8330 / 249-8331 / 249-8332
Office hours: 8.00am – 1.00pm ; 2.00pm – 4.30 pm
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat
Tel: 592 226 9280 Fax: 592-226 7816
Haitian Embassy in Washington DC
PHONE: (202) 332-4090
FAX: (202) 745-7215
| 
