On Jun. 25, human rights groups, peasant organizations, press outlets, and unions joined together to denounce the Haitian government’s continued illegal imprisonment of nine peasants arrested during a demonstration in Guacimal on May 27. (see Haïti Progrès, Vol. 20, No. 11, 5/29/02)

In a press conference held at the offices of the National Coalition for Haitian Rights (NCHR), the groups reproached the government for jailing the peasants while catering to the thugs who beat them. "After the attack we experienced in Guacimal on May 27, the reactionary forces burned down the houses of several union members, and they intend to step up their actions," explained Mr. Gérard Germain of the May 1 Workers Struggle International Union. "The corrupt judicial branch, under orders from the Executive, has tried to serve warrants on several of our comrades, and the police have repeatedly visited several of our members. In fact, nineteen of them are in hiding to avoid being arrested."

Human rights groups all agreed that the Guacimal arrests were illegal. "Despite the speeches in favor of democracy which those in power make, they are acting outside of democratic norms in this case," said Mr. Vilès Avilar of the NCHR.

Meanwhile, Eliphète St.Pierre of the Platform of Haitian Human Rights Organizations denounced the conditions in which the uncharged detainees were being held, while being denied medical attention although they suffer from cardiac conditions, fevers, and battered legs. "Should there be some people who enjoy official favor, who should be above the law, while others cannot even present their legitimate demands?" St. Pierre asked.

Darwin St. Julien, the Haïti Progrès journalist who was arrested along with the nine peasants, denounced the disinformation campaign being carried out by the official media -- in particular the National Television of Haiti (TNH) and the recently resuscitated government daily, Union -- in which the peasants are accused of having been "heavily armed" with "weapons of war" and "attacking the population." St. Julien was imprisoned for 13 days before being released, along with Allan Deshommes of Radio Atlantique, following sharp outcry by Haitian and international media watchdog groups. The journalists, like the peasants, had been accused of being "terrorists."

St. Julien, who has not regained sight in his right eye where he was struck by a machete on May 27, also described his ordeal during the time he spent, uncharged, in prison. "It was a daily struggle just to eat in jail, and we had to sleep directly on the ground," he explained.

The groups represented at the press conference included important peasant organizations such as Kozepèp and special issue groups like Echo the Voice of Jean Dominique, which is seeking justice for that prominent journalist assassinated in Apr. 2000.

The joint press statement made by the groups reflects a new level of unity and a growing consensus that the lawlessness and aggressivity of the Lavalas Family party of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide cannot be tolerated any longer.

Here is the joint press declaration of the groups:

Considering that after more than 48 hours, there are neither charges nor indictment counts against the peasants they arrested Monday, May 27, 2002 in Guacimal (St. Raphaël) and who are in prison in Port-au-Prince;

Considering that the police arrested the peasants without a case, without an order to arrest, without an order for transfer;

Considering that the police barged into the very courtroom of Grande Rivière du Nord to snatch the people from the hands of judges, according to the very own words of Mr. Smith Bertrand, the prosecutor of Grande Rivière du Nord;

Considering that, under law, the people they put in prison are those convicted or those that the court has already heard;

Considering that journalists were arrested at the same time as the peasants, then freed, and that action is a policy of discrimination, while the government always trumpets that "Everybody is a person";

Considering that the peasants in the prison have not yet received medical care, while their state of health worsens with each passing day;

Considering the wealth of information released by the investigative reports of the Platform of Haitian Human Rights Organizations and the National Coalition for Haitian Rights on this case which dismantled piece by piece the disinformation campaign of the authorities, the state media, and a certain other media which would like to portray the peasants as assassins or terrorists;

Considering the testimony of the released journalists who accompanied the unionists and the peasants as they exercised their democratic rights;

We, the organizations signing this note, declare:

The arrest and detention of the peasants is an act which is arbitrary and illegal and which violates the Constitution as well as international conventions which the Haitian state has signed and ratified. Thus we demand the immediate unconditional release of the imprisoned Guacimal peasants, in the framework of the Constitutional rights all citizens should be able to enjoy in this country. It is time for the Haitian state to stop trampling the rights of workers.

Signed: Antèn ouvriyè, Batay Nò, Batay Ouvriyè, Fondasyon Eko Vwa Jean Dominique, Haïti Progrès, Kozepèp, National Coalition for Haitian Rights, Platform for an Alternative Development (PAPDA), Platform of Haitian Human Rights Organizations, Radio Atlantique, SHKS.