Haiti:
Reports that Yvon Neptuen Has Been Ordered Released, AHP

June 21, 2005


Port-au-Prince, June 21, 2005 (AHP)- General Coordinator of the Group of Defense of Political Prisoners' Rights (GDP), Ronald St-Jean, asked the Tuesday the interim government to release former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune immediately.

Yvon Neptune has been incarcerated for over a year under the accusation of participation in a massacre that was reportedly perpetrated at La Scierie, after he was accused by the two organizations known to be close to the former opposition to his government, the NCHR/Haiti and RAMICOSM.

According to Ronald St-Jean, an order of dismissal of charges was given for him recently by the magistrate in charge of the case, Clunie Pierre Jules. He accuses resigning Minster of Justice Bernard Gousse and the public prosecutor of St-Marc of opposing to Mr. Neptune's release. "I will hold Bernard Gousse and the public prosecutor of St-Marc responsible of anything that could happen to Yvon Neptune ", Mr. St-Jean declared.

For his part, former Lavalas deputy, member of the party's political commission Félito Doran declared that he was surprised that former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune is still not released, despite the order of dismissal of charges given by examining magistrate of St-Marc.

Félito Doran is happy with the fact that Bernard Gousse was pushed to resign for hindrance to justice and said that he deplored that political prisoners continue to be held in detention. He calls to the immediate release of all political prisoners, underlining that the La Scierie matter is the fruit of Bernard Gousse's imagination and that of the NCHR/Haiti that became the RNDDH.

AHP June 21, 2005 1:10 PM