Lettre au President Preval autour de l'affaire de la Scierie

Une lettre de Walter Riley, Attorney at Law, au Président René Préval

Walter Riley
Attorney at Law, SBN 95919
1440 Broadway, Suite 612
Oakland, California 94612
Tel: (510) 451-1422
Fax: (510) 451-0406

March 19, 2007

His Excellency René Préval
President of the Republic of Haiti
Palais National
Port-au-Prince, Haïti

Your Excellency:

I write to urge that you to take every possible step to end the unjust incarceration of the defendants jailed in the La Scierie case.

Allow me to introduce myself. I practice law in Oakland, California, U.S.A. having grown up in Durham, North Carolina where the center of African American life was a section known as Hayti. As a descendant of slaves and with a sense of kinship I proudly salute Haiti as the first to defeat the powerful nations supporting slavery. As an activist in the civil right movement of the 1950s and 1960s and to the present I fought against racism and other forms of injustice. My present work as a human rights attorney and criminal defense attorney heighten my sense of the repression and injustices so many face in Haiti today. It troubles me greatly that so much suffering continues.

I commit to continue my support of the movement toward democracy in Haiti.

It is a travesty of justice that defendant Wantalès Lormejuste died on February 3, 2006, as he was being transported from the St. Marc prison to the nearby hospital. He never had the opportunity to defend himself at trial. Mr. Lormejuste and co-defendants Amanus Maette and Hora Jean-Baptiste had collectively spent over eight years in pre-trial detention in this case. Seventeen months have passed since the defendants appealed the ordonnance against them (October 7), ten months have passed since the Appeals Court hearing on the case, and since the defendants requested pre-trial release (main levée). Appeals of detained defendants should, under Haitian law, ordinarily be decided within 30 days, the defendants have now waited 530 days (as of 3/20) since they filed their appeal. The Court has not ruled on either the Appeal or the main levée requests. It is over nine months since Me. Paphius, the Commissaire du Gouvernement at the Appeals Court recommended that the case against all three be dropped for lack of evidence.

Not only have the La Scierie defendants had their procedural rights violated, they are being held in a case that is widely considered a politically-motivated and fabricated prosecution. Among others, Louis Joinet, the UN Commission of Human Rights Special Rapporteur on Haiti, the MINUSTAH human rights department, former U.S. Ambassador James Foley, Amnesty International, the International Association of Democratic Lawyers and the National Lawyers Guild have questioned the evidence in the case. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has found that the La Scierie prosecution violated several of former Prime Minsiter Yvon Neptune’s human rights, and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has agreed to hear the case.

I understand the need to respect the independence of the judiciary, but there is much that your government can do without interfering with judicial prerogatives. You could encourage and assist the prosecutors under the direction of your Ministry of Justice to a) immediately petition the Court of Appeals of Gonaives to grant main levée for the remaining La Scierie defendants; and b) convey to the Court, by every appropriate means, the Executive Branch’s determination that the case against the three defendants should be dismissed as legally inadequate.

It is well known that many of Haiti’s existing judges were appointed in a manner outside the constitutional procedures for appointing judges, especially judges appointed by the Interim Government of Haiti. I would urge you to submit these judicial positions to the constitutional procedures, and note that it would be appropriate to start this process with unconstitutionally-named judges who are keeping political prisoners in jail in violation of their constitutional rights.

I would like to take this opportunity to commend you for your excellent record of support for the rule of law during your first term in office, and for the measures you have taken since your investiture to obtain freedom for political prisoners, especially your role in assuring a fair trial in the case of the December 5, 2003 events at the State University, and your intervention to obtain main levée for Yvon Neptune. But the unnecessary death of Wantales Lormejuste illustrates the urgency of immediately freeing all the remaining political prisoners in Haiti.

Sincerely,

Walter Riley

mwen ta bay PREVAL ak moun ki alantou l yo yon konsèy.

Zafè prizonye politik se pa yon bagay trivyal,yon bagay yo ka jwe politik konsa,konsa ak li.
Dapre sa RILEY di an,moun tankou LORMEJUSTE kòmanse mouri nan prizon.
Kilès ki responsab lanmò yo?
pa gen anyen ki ret sekrè ankò ,tankou Amiral STANSFIELD TURNER ki te direktè CIA sou Jimmy Carter ,te di l.
Bagay yo evolye,yo ka rann ou Préval responsab de moun ki nan prizon san jije pou kòz politik,e ki kòmanse ap mouri.
Atansyon Préval!

Epitou,Riley te leve nan yon katye nan Durham ki te rele HAYTI.Te genyen plizyè katye sa yo Ozetazini.
Nan Pittsburgh Pennsylvania,te gen yon katye konsa ki te rele Hayti,kote nwa lib yo te rete.
Se la gran lidè ak entelektyèl nwa ,nan 19yèm syèk lan yo te rele MARTIN DELANEY an te rete,e misye te gen 4 pitit gason;prenon non yo TOUSSAINT ,DESSALINES,CHRISTOPHE ak Petion.

PREVAL,ou pa Sen Toma,pa kite moun ki gen anbisyon politik ,ki pa vle konpetisyon ak fè w fè tenten.
Atansyon PREVAL!

Mwen aksepte ak 100% ke dwa tout akize dwe respekte men mwen raple'm ke lè aktivis dwa moun te konn mande pou dwa Claude Raymond te respekte anpil moun te konn trete yo de "restavèk boujwazi", "repibliken", "reyaksyonè" makout e latriye. Mezanmi mwen repete nou sa deja, se pa lè piman bouk lan nan je nou ke li pike sèlman, li pike nan je kanmarad-la tou.

Mwen pat swiv prosè Claude raymond an byen.Men tou de mal pa fè yon byen.wi si Claude Raymond li menm te revolte kont Duvalier lè Kesner Blain, Hamilton Garout ,Edeline, et tout lot ofisye ki te mouri nan Fort Dimanche e byen se pa kalite jistis sa ke li ta resevwa.Nou te fè Jean Claude ale se pou bagay sa yo te sispann nan peyi ya. ke se jean Claude ki fel ,ke se Aristide , ke se Preval nou tout fet pou revolte kont yo tankou Dr Martin Luther King di ya :"injistis kont yon moun se injistis kont tout moun."

Wi se vre nou genyen yon tandans depi se sou gouvenman nap manje nou fèmen je nou.se sa ki pa bon ,se sa ki fè mwen pap janm moun yon moun ,pase menm si mwen te vote pou wou depi ou komanse fè abi map denonse abi yo. se konsa pou tout moun leve kont injistis nan peyi ya.Mwen te kritike Arisitide pout tet li te kenbe jeneral Avril nan prison apre la jisitis te rekonet li non koupab Epi fok chak ayisyen ki nan yon posityon nan peyi pran responsabilite yo.Yon jij deklare yon sitoyen non koupab chef prison pa dwe aksepte yo vini mete l nan prison.Fok nou pa pè pèdi yon ti job;si chak ayisyen te pran responsabilite yo pou oken ti diktatè pa fè moun abi nan peyi ya e byen yo ta blije pran men yo.

San Malis,

Mwen pa konnen si Thunder konnen de ki sa l ap pale an lè l mansyone Claude Raymond.
Se pa t mesye Lavalas yo ki te arete Claude Raymond'se te Spesyal Fòs ameriken yo ki te arete misye.
Si misye ka sonje ,se sou youn nan Bato Ameriken yo,misye te ye pou yon bon bout tan.
Ameriken yo,te konsidere misye tankou yon Sekirite Risk pou twoup Yo.
Lè misye mansyone Claude Raymond,misye chwazi yon move egzanp!

Epi lè yon moun mansyone AVRIL;bagay lan pa nwa ou blan ,jan gen moun ki panse l lan.

Mwen manm ,mwen te pou yo te gade avril nan prizon tèt kale1
Mwen pa nayif,kòm map redi l ,bagay yo pa nwa ou blan ,yo gri!

Joel

Se opinyon pa w men sa pa vle di se konsa pou peyi ya fonktyione. siw pa dako pou yo te kenbe Neptune nan prison mwen pa wè ki jan ou ka dako pou Avril te rete nan prison alos ke yon jij te rekonet li non koupab.se pou nou rekonet ke la lwa se yon pou tout moun. nou pa ka genyen 2 jistis nan yon peyi depi se moun pa nou li met gaye deyè l jan vle peyi ya se pou li.epi lè nou pèdi pouvwa nap plenyen di ke yo fè nou abi.

mwen se pou la jisitis pwogrè ke mwen ta vle ki etabli nan peyi ya.fok dwa tout moun a la ronn badè respekte ke li se duvalyeris , ke li se lavalasyen , gnbis etc.Delinkan kelke swa li genyen fokole ou byen sapat se pou li peye pou krim ou byen vol li fè,men se pa paske yon moun pa dako ak politk nou, depi li pa mete stabilite peyi ya an danje, pou nou genyen dwa metel Fort dimanche.se bagay sa yo ke map toujou kont yo.Mwen pa dako ak difamatyon, men fok yon moun genyen dwa kritike si li mete stabilite peyi an danje la se yon lot bagay.epi tou se la jistis ki pou kondane l dapre la lwa.

San Malis,

Se pa kritike m ap kritike sa w di an.Konprann mwen byen.
Fòk nou pa bliye fasil.Se pou nou konnen nan ki sikonstans yo te arete AVRIL lan;se pa t pou kritik misye t ap fè sou gouvènman Lavalas lan.
Se pou dakò ak mwen,nanpwen yon gouvènman ke pa Aristide lan ki te kite yo kritike l san pa anyen pa t rive kritik yo.
Se pou nou dakò ak mwen sou sa.

Te gen yon bann zak ki t ap komèt ,moun ki t ap tire sou moun elatriye;yo te soupsone Avril te dèyè bagay sa yo ,pou destabilize gouvènman an.Epi misye te ekri yon liv pou l di se pou yo kapote mesye Lavalas yo,e se apre sa yo te arete l.

apre sa zak destabilizasyon yo ,te sispann pou yon bon bout tan.

Epitou,se lè sa a m ap di bagay yo pa nwa ou blan,yo gri.M ap mande w ki Jij ki ta oze kondane AVRIL?

Ou gen dwa gen opinyon sou zafè sa a,mwen menm ,mwen gen pa m.
Nou tou le de,nou ka gen rezon an pati,nou ka gen tò an pati.

mwen rapòte jan mwen te panse sou bagay sa a e mwen pa panse diferaman jounen jodi an.
Si la Jistis ann Ayiti ,se te yon Jistis serye ,mwen ta p di w kareman,mwen dakò ak ou;men se pa le ka ,tankou yo di!

Joel,

Claude Raymond te arete pou konplo kont gouvenman lavalas lan, li pase 5 kan nan prizon san kondanasyon, la jistis mande pou lage'l a kòz mank prèv, yo genbe'l lan prizon jiskaske li mouri. epi wa sonje ke se pa't yon sèl fwa ke misye te jwenn arestasyon'l.

Epi gade kijan wou te dakò pou okipan yo te arete'l, men kan se nan men Sò Ann yo te pase minòt lan wou te preske pouse zèl.

Thunder a écrit:Joel,

Claude Raymond te arete pou konplo kont gouvenman lavalas lan, li pase 5 kan nan prizon san kondanasyon, la jistis mande pou lage'l a kòz mank prèv, yo genbe'l lan prizon jiskaske li mouri. epi wa sonje ke se pa't yon sèl fwa ke misye te jwenn arestasyon'l.

Epi gade kijan wou te dakò pou okipan yo te arete'l, men kan se nan men Sò Ann yo te pase minòt lan wou te preske pouse zèl.

[b]Aa wi ,

Kontinye konpare fasis divalyeris yo ak moun Aristide yo.

Di m konbyen moun Sò Anne touye.Yo pè l se akòz de pwisans pèswazyon li genyen sou pèp lan.
Sò Anne ,te fè yon tounnen nan dyaspora a ,nan Kanada,Nouyòk ,Noujèze,Kalifòni,yo te aklame ann Ewo;e se pa t ayisyen sèlman non ki te akeyi l konsa.

Se mòd nou pou nou ap konpare Aristide ak Divalye .Non ,yo pa menm.
Gade kijan ti nèg ap rele anmwe kont amandman Konstitisyon.Sa yo pè,se pou yo pa modifye atik ki di yon moun pa ka fè plis ke 2 manda.
Sa nou pè ,sè ke ,nan yon eleksyon lib,ti pè an pa vin prezidan ankò.
Gade sa k rive nan Nikaragwa ak Danyèl Ortega?

Kote ki fè nou mal lan,se pa la nou grate!

Joel,

Mwen pa yon duvalieris ni yon panzouyis kontrèman ak sa wou panse, si yon gouvenman kelkonk ta monte lib e libè e yo ta kenbe la lwa nan men yo pandan y'ap fè jefò pou mennen Ayiti sou wout developman. Mwen se yon nan 1er moun ki pwal mashe men nan men ak yo. Diferans ki genyen ant mwen avè'w se ke: wou, se yon sèl sektè ke w'ap fè reprezante le dyab, men sektè lavalas se yon bann ti jezi nan po krab ki pa janm touye menm yon moush. Mwen, m' kritike tout sektè espesyalman sa wou pa janm genyen kouraj pou wou kritike yo.

Yon lòt pa, depi wou di'm konbyen moun ke Raymond touye, mwen m'ap di'w konbyen ke Sò Ann masakre, mwen rekonèt manzè an pèsòn, menm jan wou wè Sans Malice te anba vant mesye Duvalieristes li konnen tout sa ki t'ap pase se menm jan mwen te nan nannan lavalas mwen konnen tout sa ka pase tou, wou pa wè konbyen fwa ke mwen demanti Piporiko epi li paka di zwit. Joel, hmmm..! pa kite bwat koze'm eklate non. Pase tout kritik wou wè m'ap ekri la-a se pa sou Radyo Solèy ni Radyo Kiskeya ke mwen tande yo, se viv mwen viv yo.

Wi Thunder;

Ou konn konbyen moun Sò Anne masakre.
ou te la lè li te pran yon ti bebe ,griye l e kraze nan yon pilon;se pa sa.
Ou pa bezwen al la ,gen yon repòtè kanadyen ki te fè yon ankèt sou bagay sa a e li jwenn ke se Radyo Kiskeya ki te lage malatyong sa a.

Ou byen manmzèl te bay patizan Lavalas rigwaz pou yo t al kale moun nan manifestasyon ;yo jwenn ke se manti ,se yon boulòk bagay sa ye tou.

Thunder,
Ou pa fouti bay prèv ke Sò Anne ,te touye pè pap.
Ou konnen byen se pawòl w ap fè.

Sa mwen mande'w la se pa sa ou ban'm. Mwen mande'w pou di'm konbyen moun ke Raymond te touye ki fè wou te dakò pou li pase 5 kan nan prizon dèyè do la lwa, kote se lanmò ki libere'l. Mwen, m'ap di'w konbyen ke Sò Ann te masakre pandan ke wou te vle pouse zèl ak kòn lè se li ki te pran minòt lan.