From: Christic Institute <christic@igc.apc.org>
Subject: AI: Haiti Arrests
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: ?
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 14:11:38 GMT

/* Written  6:07 pm  Jul 23, 1992 by hrcoord in cdp:carnet.alerts */
/* ---------- "AI: Haiti Arrests" ---------- */
From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: AI: Haiti Arrests

/* Written 11:44 am  Jul 19, 1992 by hrcoord in cdp:ai.uan */
UA 236/92     Mass Arrests/Ill-treatment     17 July 1992
HAITI:        Esner BLAISE              )
              Canez PREVAUD             )
              Rosette DESIRE (f)        )
              Lionel DESIR              )
              Ronald LEON               )
              CHERAUD                   )
              Claude LUCIEN             )
              Jerome NOEL               )
              Valery BONY LAGUERRE (f)  )

              Jean-Marie Gabriel        ) arrested; his
                                          whereabouts remain
                                          unknown

Amnesty International is concerned that following a
demonstration organized by students from various faculties
of the Universite d'Etat d'Haiti, State University of Haiti,
on 15 July 1992, members of the armed forces
indiscriminately shot and wounded a number of students or
severely beat others, a number of whom required
hospitalization. Amnesty International is also concerned
that the whereabouts of many of the over 20 students
arrested remain unknown.

According to witnesses to the demonstration, over 60
uniformed policemen and armed men in civilian clothes, many
wearing police badges on their shirt pockets, entered the
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy. The security forces,
heavily armed with rifles and batons, reportedly
systematically clubbed anyone they found in and around the
Faculty.  During the panic that ensued, many students
returned to the university building to seek refuge. They
were pursued to the classrooms by members of the security
forces who reportedly shot at them at point blank range.
Other students tried to seek refuge at the General Hospital.
Hospital staff reportedly succeeded in stopping possible
extrajudicial executions when armed members of the security
forces entered the General Hospital in pursuit of the
students, and allegedly lined them up for execution in the
court-yard of the hospital.

During both of the above incidents, several students,
including the nine mentioned above, were wounded, either by
bullets or as a result of severe beatings by the police.
One of those injured, Jerome Noel, was reportedly beaten so
badly that his right foot was fractured.  Valery Bony
Laguerre, a 2nd year Agronomy student, was reportedly badly
beaten inside the morgue of the General Hospital where she
had run for safety.

The Federation Nationale des Etudiants Haitiens (FENEH),
National Federation of Haitian Students, reported that over
20 students were arrested and taken to the Service
d'investigation et de recherches anti-gang, Anti-gang
Investigation Service, where it is feared that they may be
ill-treated in custody. At least one student was released
after several hours in custody.

Amnesty International is also concerned at reports that
Jean-Marie Gabriel, a 3rd year Agronomy student, was
captured and taken away aboard a black jeep. His
whereabouts are unknown.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On 12 November 1991, students from the FENEH gathered at the
Faculty of Science building of the State University of Haiti
for a press conference and to demonstrate in support of the
return of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, ousted in
a military coup of September 1991. During the demonstration
a large contingent of armed policemen stormed the building,
beating students and chasing foreign journalists away.  Many
students were reportedly brutally beaten with batons and
riffle butts. More than 100 students were subsequently
arrested and many were ill-treated during detention. Since
late May 1992, a new wave of student protests was met with
harsh repression.

On 19 June 1992 Marc Bazin was sworn in as Haiti's Prime
Minister succeeding the de facto Prime Minister Jean-Jacques
Honorat. Several days before he took office, Marc Bazin
pledged before the Haitian Senate to stop repression and
restore freedom of the press. However, human rights
violations continue.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:  Please send telegrams/telexes/faxes and
airmail letters:
- expressing concern at the reported indiscriminate shooting
and beating of students by security forces (include those
named);
- asking for a complete list of the students arrested, and
inquiring about their legal situation;
- asking that the whereabouts of Jean-Marie Gabriel be made
known;
- urging that all students held be treated humanely in
custody, that they be given access to lawyers, families and
to independent doctors;
- asking that an immediate investigation into the above
incidents, and that those found responsible be brought to
justice.

APPEALS TO                                  [Salutation]
Prime Minister:
[Monsieur le Premier Minister/Dear Prime Minister]

Marc BAZIN
Premier Ministre
Palais National
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
(Faxes: 011 509 34 1980, 011 509 23 2121)
(Telegrams: Premier Ministre BAZIN, Port-au-Prince, Haiti)


Minister of Justice:
[Monsieur le Ministre]

Maitre Moise SENATUS
Ministre de la Justice
Ministere de la Justice
Cit de l'Exposition
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
(Telexes: 20166 Justice)
(Telephone: 011 509 45 0474, 011 509 45 1626)
(Telegrams: Ministre de la Justice SENATUS, Port-au-Prince,
Haiti)


Chief of National Police:
[Monsieur le Lt. Colonel/Dear Lt. Colonel]

Monsieur le Lt.Colonel
Michel FRANCOIS
Chef de la Police Nationale
Grand Quartier General de la Police
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
(Telegrams: Chef, Police Nationale, Port-au-Prince, Haiti)


[Monsieur le Capitaine / Dear Captain]
Anti-gang investigation and research service:

Monsieur le Capitaine Joanis JACKSON
Chef du Service d'investigation et de recherches anti-gang
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
(Telegrams: Chef du Service d'investigation et
de recherches anti-gang, Port-au-Prince, Haiti)


[Monsieur le General/Dear General]
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces:

Monsieur le General Raoul CEDRAS
Commandant-en-Chef des Forces Armees d'Haiti
Grand Quartier General des Forces Armes d'Haiti
Rue Geffrard
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
(Telexes: 20391 gqfadh)
(Telephone: 011 509 22 3935)
(Telegrams: Comandant-en-Chef des Armees d'Haiti Cedras,
 Port-au-Prince, Haiti)
(Faxes: 011 509 23 9007, 011 509 23 9407)

COPIES OF YOUR APPEALS TO:
Monsieur Dejean Belizaire
President du Senat               (President of Senate)
Assemblee Nationale
Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Monsieur Alexandre MeDARD
Monsieur le President     (President of Chamber of Deputies)
President de la Chambre Deputes
Assemblee Nationale
Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Monsieur le Doyen  (Dean of Medicine and Pharmacy faculty)
Faculte de Medecine et de Pharmacie
Rue Oswald Durand
Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Haiti en Marche             (News weekly)
173 N.W. 94 St
Miami, FL 33150

Ambassador Jean Casimir
Embassy of the Republic of Haiti
2311 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington DC 20008

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the Colorado
office between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm, Mountain Time, weekdays
only, if sending appeals after August 28, 1992.