From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Date: 26 Jan 93 10:39 PST
Subject: Haiti: Izmery Arrested
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476701044:000:3666
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Jan 26 10:39:00 1993


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: Haiti: Izmery Arrested

/* Written  8:16 pm  Jan 24, 1993 by hib@igc.apc.org in igc:reg.carib */

   *         *         *     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    *          *        *

From:  HAITIAN INFORMATION BUREAU
           An Alternative News and Information Service
Tel/Fax:  001-509-574047, e-mail: hib@igc.org
  

             ANTOINE IZMERY IMPRISONED FOR TWO NIGHTS


PORT-AU-PRINCE, Jan. 24 - A prominent businessman known for 
his support of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide will spend his 
second night in the National Penitentiary after being arrested for 
driving without a license on Saturday.
   Antoine Izmery was stopped and arrested on Jan. 23, hours after 
a meeting with Rev. Jesse Jackson where Jackson and local human 
rights organizations discussed repression here. Izmery's license was 
taken away by police two weeks ago after he paid a small traffic 
fine.  According to Izmery, officers refused to return it because of 
his well-known stands in favor of President Aristide.
   According to a member of Rev. Jackson's delegation, when the 
Reverend learned of Izmery's arrest today, he asked his hosts in 
Haiti, U.S. embassy officials Leslie Alexander and Robin Smith, to 
help free Izmery.  Despite their reassurances and promises from 
de facto Prime Minister Marc L. Bazin, Izmery was still being held 
as of 10 p.m. on Sunday night and was expected to spend a second 
night in the prison.
   Rev. Jackson was here for two days to meet with democratic 
leaders, military officials and representatives of both the 
constitutional and de facto governments.  Jackson said the purpose 
of the visit was the "keep the pressure on" the illegal regime as the 
United Nations and Organization of American States move into a 
new round of negotiations to bring about the return of democracy 
and President Aristide.
   Many feel the fact that Izmery was arrested during Rev. 
Jackson's visit was intended as a message from the military to 
show their arrogant disdain for the process toward democracy.
   Izmery has frequently been targeted for repression since the 
Sept. 30, 1991, coup d'etat.  His brother George was shot and killed 
on May 26.  Soldiers viciously beat mourners at the funeral, 
including Antoine Izmery, and arrested many.  
   Despite Jackon's visit and the recent visit of U.N. and O.A.S. 
representative Dante Caputo, violations continue to be reported 
here.  In one especially outrageous case, Gisele Saint-Firmin, the 
53-year-old mother of a college student, was arrested on Jan. 8 
and has spent over two weeks in jail because her daughter helped 
organize a commemorative mass for a student beaten to death last 
year.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Haitian Information Bureau:  509-574047
Platform of Haitian Human Rights Organizations:  509-451563

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

1.  Fax or call de facto officials:

Prime Minister Marc L. Bazin
National Palace
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Fax:  509-22-1147

Minister of the Interior and of Defense Carl Michel Nicolas
Palace of the Ministers
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Telex: 20515 Dptindn
Tel: 509-229198 or 22-1090

General Raoul Cedras
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Haiti
Grand Quartier General of the Armed Forces of Haiti
Rue Geffrard
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Telex: 20391 GQFADH
Tel: 509-22-3935
Fax: 509-23-9007 or 239407

2.  Call your local U.S. government representative and ask them to 
pressure the Clinton administration as well as U.S. representatives 
in Haiti to demand the immediate release of Antoine Izmery, 
Gisele Saint-Firmin, and the hundreds of citizens arrested and held 
illegally in Haitian prisons.