BILL FLETCHER
Fletcher, president of TransAfrica Forum, is available for a limited number of interviews. He said today: “Yvon Neptune, the prime minister of the duly elected government of Haiti, has been jailed for 10 months without charge. He stopped eating on April 17 and is said by his family to be in very bad health. The illegitimate government of Haiti has been engaging in a pattern of human rights abuses — their lack of concern for Neptune’s health comes as no surprise. It is particularly extraordinary that organizations which purport to advocate for human rights — and were extremely critical over any alleged infraction by the Aristide government — are largely silent while this illegitimate government engages in far more egregious actions.”
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EUGENIA CHARLES
Charles is director of Fondasyon Mapou — an organization that promotes sustainable development, human rights and protection of the environment to enhance the quality of life for marginalized Haitians — and is co-editor of the book Let Haiti Live: Unjust U.S. Policies Toward Its Oldest Neighbor. She said today: “From what I understand from the family, Neptune’s health is deteriorating rapidly. The international community should take this situation seriously and ensure the release of this man. A year ago we were promised a democratic process in Haiti, but what is unfolding is incredibly undemocratic. While the democratically-elected Neptune is imprisoned, convicted perpetrators of massacres are set to be released. The human rights situation is deteriorating and the ‘trio’ — the U.S., Canada and France — do not seem to want to pay attention to the human rights tragedy that is unfolding.”
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For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167