Congresswoman Waters and 24 other members of congress ask President Bush to urge the Coup Government of Haiti to release Prime Minister Yvon Neptune
Washington, D.C. -- Today, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) sent a letter to President Bush, asking him to urge the interim government of Haiti to release former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune from prison and respect the rights of all criminal defendants. A total of 25 Members of Congress signed the Congresswoman's letter. Copies of the letter were sent to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Ambassador Timothy M. Carney, the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti. The text of the letter follows:
We write to express our deep concern over recent
developments in the case of former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, who has been
unjustly imprisoned in Haiti for over a year.
Judge Cluny Pierre Jules issued an order last month
to indict former Prime Minister Neptune and about 30 other individuals on
charges of participation in an alleged massacre in Saint-Marc. The order
allows former Prime Minister Neptune and all of the other accused
individuals to be tried without a jury. The trial would take place before a
single judge who would not only rule on the guilt of the defendants but also
decide their sentences. Judge Jules' decision is a violation of the Haitian
Constitution, which gives defendants in cases of alleged "blood crimes"
(crimes resulting in death) the right to a trial by jury.
For former Prime Minister Neptune to be brought to
trial without a jury would be a travesty of justice. A criminal trial
before a single judge would allow for the manipulation of the judicial
system - subjecting the former prime minister to nothing more than a
show-trial. If Mr. Neptune is wrongly convicted, the resulting injustice
will have far reaching consequences. Mr. Neptune has already been detained
illegally for over a year and he should be immediately and unconditionally
released.
We implore you to urge the interim government to
release Prime Minister Neptune and respect the rights of all criminal
defendants. We appreciate your attention to our concerns, and we await your
response.
Maxine Waters |
Mark Foley |
William Delahunt |
Barbara Lee |
Sherrod Brown |
Charles Rangel |
Major R. Owens |
Donald Payne |
Edolphus Towns |
Melvin L. Watt |
Lynn Woolsey |
Bobby L. Rush |
John Conyers |
Maurice Hinchey |
Corrine Brown |
Jan Schakowsky |
Kendrick B. Meek |
Raúl Grijalva |
Donna Christensen |
Dennis Kucinich |
Robert Wexler |
Joseph Crowley |
Diane Watson |
Wm. Lacy Clay |
Eleanor Holmes Norton |
|
|