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We are only celebrating
tonight because top-notch legal representation in
Haitian courts was combined with a persistent campaign,
in Haiti and abroad, to pressure the justice system to
finally give the defendants their day in court. Ms.
Auguste's supporters fought for justice on the streets,
courageously organizing demonstrations despite the great
risk. Mario Joseph and his BAI colleagues were equally
courageous and persistent fighting in the courts.
Supporters of justice in Haiti abroad, including Rep.
Maxine Waters, and Amnesty International which twice
issued calls for Annette Auguste's release, kept the
cases on the world's radar screen. Finally, all of us
who wrote, faxed and called on behalf of the political
prisoners demonstrated that there was a constituency for
justice in Haiti that would not give up.
We also would not be
celebrating if Haiti's new Constitutional government and
some members of the justice system had not pushed the
system to work democratically. Today's result was too
slow, and there is too much more to be done. Some
prominent political prisoners like Ameus Mayette remain
in jail, Yvon Neptune and Fr. Jean-Juste are out of
prison, but still have cases against them. No one knows
how many lower-profile political prisoners remain in
jail, but they probably number in the hundreds. But we
now know that the system can work, and that we can help
make it work.
No action to take this
week. But we'll have an action next week. Before he hung
up today, Mario asked me to make sure that we thank
everyone who pitched in from abroad to make this victory
possible. Then he ended with "and don't forget the
other prisoners...."
Upcoming Events:
The Solidarity
Encounter with the Haitian People organized by the
September 30 Foundation will take place in Haiti from
August 20-26. This is an excellent opportunity for
people who care about Haiti to connect with Haitian
grassroots groups struggling for justice.
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