Friday, July 29, 2005
**Court appearance still set for Monday, August 1st; Venel Remarais will return to Port-au-Prince from the U.S. at noon Saturday.  
**Attorneys are working to obtain more information on the accusations and hope to meet with the investigating judge. 

Dear readers of the AHP news,

  As we indicated in our e-mail yesterday, the interim government of Haiti appears to be intensifying its campaign of intimidation and harassment of independent media in Haiti through the issuance of a summons to AHP/Radio Solidarite's founder and director, georges Venel Remarais, to appear before an investigating judge on Monday August 1st, apparently to respond to accusations of criminal association and fraud. 
 We are keeping close contact with AHP/Radio Solidarite's director, Venel Remarais and will continue to do so as he returns to Haiti from the U.S. tomorrow on the American Airlines flight from Miami which arrives in Haiti at noon.  He wishes to thank all of you for your support! It really means a great deal. We have also been in touch with attorneys in Haiti who have been trying to obtain further details on the accusations against him. We now believe that the summons was signed by investigating judge Yves Altidor. As Mr. Remarais was out of the country when the summons was issued, and his staff did not accept it in his absence, we do not know the exact contents of the accusations, but a staff member of the Station said that he read in the document that the accusations are criminal association and fraud.

  At the same time, Radio Metropole reported Thursday, July 28, that  interim Prime Minister Latortue's Council of Ministers issued a communique dated July 20 directing government Ministries, including the Ministry of Justice, to "take appropriate measures" against all journalists and media who spread hate speech and offer a microphone to bandits. Human rights organizations have expressed concern that this decree may be an attempt to stifle Haiti's independent media, and are thus watching the current action against Radio Solidarite very closely.
 
 The prompt response by many of you has greatly raised awareness about this situation and we are hopeful that because of your actions and the work of attorneys, human rights organizations and journalists, this situation may soon be resolved. 

While in Florida during his brief visit, Mr. Remarais went ahead with the purchase of a small piece of equipment necessary to restore Radio Solidarite to full working status, at least for the time being. He is confident that upon his return to Haiti, the repairs will be able to be completed rapidly.  
  We will provide further updates as information becomes available.

 Mike Levy 
 For The Friends of AHP