12-17-05,8:43am

I call for the immediate and unconditional release of Fr. Gérard Jean-Juste from prison in Haiti, and I urge President Bush to take action at once to secure his release.

Father Jean-Juste is a widely-respected Catholic priest and a courageous advocate for peace and justice. The injustice of his imprisonment is all the more severe as a result of his failing health.

On Dec. 1, Fr. Jean-Juste received a medical exam by Dr. John Carroll, who reported that he has swollen lymph nodes in his neck and armpits and an elevated white blood count. This could indicate any of several serious conditions, including a blood cancer or an infectious disease.

Many blood cancers have a good prognosis if they are treated early by specialists. It is therefore imperative that Fr. Jean-Juste be immediately released from prison so that he can receive medical treatment for his condition.

Father Jean-Juste’s arrest is another example of the systematic repression of Haitians who are suspected of supporting the Lavalas Party. Father Jean-Juste joins numerous Lavalas leaders in Haiti’s overcrowded prisons, including Former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, former Interior Minister Jocelerme Privert and Haitian singer Anne Auguste.

There are an estimated 700 political prisoners in Haiti, and many of them are Lavalas members who have been detained for months without formal charges. All of these political prisoners should be set free.

It is critical that President Bush take action without delay to obtain Fr. Jean-Juste’s release from prison so that he can receive the medical care he so desperately needs. Our government’s action could save the life of this gentle priest.

How you can help

Bill Quigley, a professor at Loyola University New Orleans School of Law who works with Haitian attorney Mario Joseph in representing Fr. Jean-Juste, says: “Pere Jean-Juste, in jail and out, always urges everyone to fight for human rights, real democracy and release of political prisoners. He advises us to ‘keep up the struggle, freedom is coming for Haiti.’

“It is time once again for the international community to join in solidarity with the people of Haiti and to demand without ceasing the release of Fr. Jean-Juste. U.S. citizens are urged to contact the U.S. Embassy in Haiti and demand that they do everything possible to secure the immediate release of Fr. Jean-Juste.

“The switchboard number is 011-509-222-0200. Faxes can be sent to 011-509-223-9038. Emails can be sent to the human rights officers in the embassy: Ms. Dana Banks, banksd@state.gov, or Kevan Higgins, higginskp@state.gov.

“The message can be simple: ‘Fr. Jean-Juste must be released immediately. Haiti does not need another martyr for human rights.’”San Francisco Bay View