Meek to Bush Administration: Ensure Safety of Imprisoned Priest in Haiti

A Beloved Figure Among South Florida Haitians,
Father Gerard Jean-Juste's Arrest and Detention Questioned

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek released the following letters to Secretary of State Colin Powell and American Ambassador to Haiti James Foley, asking for inquiries into the circumstances of the arrest and detention of Father Gerard Jean-Juste, the founder of the Haitian Refugee Center in Miami in 1978.

According to news reports, Haitian police, some of them donning masks, arrested Father Jean-Juste last Wednesday in his Port-au-Prince church. Jean-Juste was arrested as he was feeding almost 600 poor children, according to reports. The 57-year-old priest was educated in the U.S. and is a beloved figure in the South Florida Haitian community.

Jean-Juste's Haitian Refugee Center challenged the U.S. government's policies on refugees and won several important legal victories on the issue.

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The text of Congressman Meek's letters to Secretary Powell (view this letter in PDF) and Ambassador Foley (view this letter in PDF) follows:

October 20, 2004

Secretary Colin Powell
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Powell:

Thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule last week to speak with me regarding the deteriorating situation in Haiti.

I write today to bring to your attention the arrest and detention of Father Gerard Jean-Juste by the Haitian government. Father Jean-Juste was arrested last Wednesday by a detail of armed police officers and masked men as he prepared to feed hundreds of children at his Port-au-Prince church. Father Jean-Juste is well known and admired in the South Florida Haitian community. I have also written to Ambassador James Foley (see attached) to request his assistance in ensuring that Father Jean-Juste's human and legal rights are safeguarded while he is in detention.

In view of the continually diminishing power of the Haitian government and the fact that armed gangs move freely in the capital and other areas throughout the country, I ask that you provide every assistance possible in ensuring the safety of Father Jean-Juste.

Thank you for your kind consideration of this this urgent matter.

Sincerely yours,

S/

KENDRICK B. MEEK
Member of Congress

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October 20, 2004

Ambassador James Foley
U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince
Boulevard Harry Truman no. 5
Bicentenaire - Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Dear Ambassador Foley:

I write today to request that you make official representations to Haitian Prime Minister Gerard Latortue to determine the exact nature of the charges against Father Gerard Jean-Juste and that you visit him in prison to ensure that the Haitian government safeguards his human and legal rights.

Father Jean-Juste is currently jailed by the Haitian government under Prime Minister Latortue. I am particularly concerned about the possibility of a lengthy or indeterminate imprisonment under harsh jail conditions because from what I understand, the Haitian government has not indicated what it intends to do with Father Jean-Juste.

Father Jean-Juste was arrested under highly unusual circumstances by police officers and masked men at his Port-au-Prince church last Wednesday. According to reports, although Father Jean-Juste demanded to see an arrest warrant, the armed officers and men refused. Pursuant to these same accounts, Haitian police smashed some of the rectory windows during the arrest. They then reportedly dragged Father Jean-Juste through the window over the broken glass, rather than walking him out the door.

Armed gangs now reportedly roam Port-au-Prince and other major Haitian cities. The Haitian government has been ineffective in restoring or maintaining order or in addressing the rapidly deteriorating economic and humanitarian situation in the country. In addition, the administration of justice in Haiti is deeply flawed and highly suspect. For example, a recent trial described by the Washington Post as "farcical," conducted mostly after midnight and concluded before dawn, acquitted Louis Jodel Chamblain of the 1993 murder Antoine Izmery, a prominent pro-democracy activist and businessman. It would be a travesty if Father Jean-Juste were treated this way, or if harm should come his way while detained by the Haitian government.

Under these circumstances, I am concerned that Father Jean-Juste might be detained inhumanely and that he might not be afforded representation or Constitutional and legal rights and timely judicial proceedings.

Thank you for your attention and I look forward to your prompt response to this urgent matter.

Sincerely yours,

S/

KENDRICK B. MEEK
Member of Congress

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Nan Kreyol