AHP News - September 7, 2005 -
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Father Gérard Jean-Juste indicates that he forgives all who are responsible for his illegal incarceration and asks to be set free
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Port-au-Prince, September 7, 2005 AHP- Father Gérard Jean-Juste conveyed through his attorney, Mario Joseph, that he has forgiven the interim government and all those who have played a role in having him arbitrarily imprisoned because of his political beliefs.
Father Jean-Juste was arrested on July 21st at the Church of Saint-Pierre de Pétion-Ville where he had come to co-officiate alongside Bishop Dumas at the funeral services for journalist and poet Jacques Roche who had been found murdered four days earlier following his kidnapping.
The priest of the parish of
"We should cultivate the sense of sacrifice and tolerance toward all those who have wronged us", said the Catholic priest, who added that he expects to be released soon because no charges have been filed against him.
The priest had no reaction regarding the announcement that some cadres and activists of Fanmi Lavalas have chosen him to be the party's candidate for president in the elections scheduled for the end of this year.
Attorney Mario Joseph also once again denounced the illegal character of the arrest and imprisonment of Father Jean-Juste.
In response to questions Monday from a radio station in the capital on Monday regarding the repeated appeals for the release of the priest of the parish of Sainte-Claire, interim Prime Minister Gérard Latortue said that he would not allow pressure to drive him to interfere in judicial matters simply in order to satisfy the desires of a political group.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Timothy Michael Carney recently said he considered it revolting that individuals who have committed atrocious crimes have been set free while Haitians against whom no charges have been filed are arbitrarily kept in prison.
AHP September 7, 2005 11:40 AM