Dear readers of AHP News,

A Haitian bailiff has just attempted to deliver a legal summons to the
office of the founder/director of AHP and Radio Solidarite, Georges Venel
Remarais in Port-au-Prince. The precise contents of the document are not yet
known as Mr. Remarais was not present and the document was not accepted,
however a member of the staff who saw the document reported that he is being
accused of "association de malfaiteurs" (criminal association) and
escroquerie (fraud). It is believed that he has been ordered to appear
before a judge on Monday, August 1. Mr. Remarais is currently outside Haiti
and is attempting to return to Haiti prior to the date indicated on the
summons.
Efforts are now being made on his behalf to determine who signed the order
against him and to learn further details regarding the allegations.
It is perhaps not a coincidence that a member of the Conseil des Sages
(Council of the Wise) recently stated that all radio stations that permit
bandits to speak over the airwaves should be shut down. It is believed that
the term "bandits" may be a reference to anyone living in the populist
districts. As most AHP readers know, AHP and Radio Solidarite, like most
independent media organizations, often provide news from a wide variety of
sources, including governments, NGOs, grassroots organizations, and
witnesses to natural disasters as well as acts of violence and actions of
national or international security forces in an effort to provide in-depth
reporting and to serve the Haitian public.
Some human rights observers are already interpreting this action as a very
disturbing  act of intimidation against what remains of the independent
media in Haiti, and believe that additional action by human rights defenders
may be necessary. It is hoped that human rights and press freedom
organizations will be monitoring the situation closely. As the full details
become available, the Friends of AHP will pass them along to you in the
event it becomes clear. We of course hope that this is not an indication
that a more serious human rights situation is about to develop.

For the Friends of AHP,
Mike Levy