Congresswoman Waters and 15 other Members of Congress urge President Bush to take immediate action to free former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune from prison and save his life

Washington, D.C. -- Today, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) sent a letter to President Bush, urging him to take immediate action to save the life of former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, who is in the 20th day of a hunger strike to protest his unjust imprisonment by the interim government of Haiti. Fifteen of the Congresswoman's colleagues signed her letter. Copies of the letter were sent to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Ambassador James Foley, the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti. The text of the letter follows:

We are writing to express our deep concerns about the unjust imprisonment of former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune in Haiti, and urge you to take immediate action to obtain his release from prison and thereby save his life.

Prime Minister Neptune was arrested on June 27, 2004, and he remains in jail without charge. He has never been allowed to go before a judge to challenge his confinement as required under the constitution of Haiti. He has continuously maintained that he has committed no crime, and his life has been endangered throughout his confinement. Prime Minister Neptune is in the 20th day of a hunger strike, which he began in order to protest his unjust imprisonment by the interim government of Haiti. He is determined to continue his hunger strike until the interim government sets him free.

We know that the Administration has expressed concerns about Prime Minister Neptune's continuing imprisonment. However, time is of the essence. When Congresswoman Maxine Waters met with Prime Minister Neptune in prison in Haiti on Monday, March 7, she observed that Prime Minister Neptune already had lost a substantial amount of weight and was so weak that his voice was merely a whisper. Prime Minister Neptune is likely to die if the interim government does not release him immediately.

We implore you to intervene at once to obtain Prime Minister Neptune's immediate release from prison. Prime Minister Neptune has languished in prison without charge for over eight months, and it would be a tragic injustice, one that is entirely avoidable, if he should die in prison. Please do whatever you can to save Prime Minister Neptune's life and obtain his immediate release from prison.

Sincerely,

Maxine Waters John Conyers Barbara Lee Kendrick Meek Melvin L. Watt Cynthia McKinney Corrine Brown Major Owens

William Delahunt Jan Schakowsky Dennis Kucinich Maurice Hinchey Edolphus Towns Charles Rangel Sheila Jackson-Lee Donald Payne

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Haiti's Prime Minister Yvon Neptune rushed to hospital in critical condition Haiti’s prime minister under President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, on a hunger strike since Feb. 20, in critical condition and was rushed to a hospital by U.N. soldiers Thursday evening, according to sources in Port-au-Prince. Neptune and Interior Minister Jocelerme Privert have been refusing food to protest their illegal detention as well as the imprisonment of hundreds of Aristide supporters who have not been charged with any crime. Mar 11

Congresswoman Waters urges President Bush to provide former Haitian Yvon Neptune immediate Temporary Asylum in the United States to receive medical treatment Mar 11

Congresswoman Maxine Waters travels to Haiti; visits former Prime Minister Neptune in prison; and demands that the interim government release him and all political prisoners. Mar 7