INTERNATIONAL
ALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE FOR JEAN DOMINIQUE
Mr. Yvon NEPTUNE
President of the Senate of the Republic of Haiti
Port-au-Prince - Haïti
Paris,12 November 2001
Mr President,
Three months after the Minister of Justice sent a
request to the Senate to lift the parliamentary immunity
of the Senator for the West, Dany Toussaint, Reporters
Without Borders and the International Alliance for Justice
for Jean Dominique write to you to express our strong
concern that the High Chamber has not yet made a decision
with regards to this request. Our organizations are
particularly concerned that the parliamentary commission
charged with examining this request only met for the
first time on the 17 September 2001, five weeks after
the request was sent.
You have stated on several occasions that the process
of lifting parliamentary immunity, which is without
precedent in Haiti, would take time. However, as you
yourself confirmed in a letter to Reporters Without
Borders on the 16th August 2001 regarding this case,
"this is in the interest and for the prestige of the
Senate as an institution", indeed this is why we believe
that the Senate should not for a moment give the impression
of hiding behind questions of procedure. Our two organizations
therefore ask you to take necessary measures so that
the Senate answers the request from the instructing
judge without further delay.
We ask you to remember also that we hope that the
Senate lifts Mr Toussaintīs parliamentary immunity quite
simply to allow justice to take its course. The refusal
to lift his parliamentary immunity would represent a
denial of justice and would mean that the Senator would
remain a suspect in this case.
We are confident that you share our determination
to see justice done in this case.
Respectfully yours,
Reporters sans frontières
Jorge Aguirre Glenn Allen Woody Allen
Robert Altman Paul Thomas Anderson Travis Anderson
Guy Antoine Dominique Arden (France) Neda Armian
George Armitage Adrienne Armstrong Judy Arthur
Lauren Bacall Eugenie Bafaloukos (Greece) John Bailey
Ted Bafaloukos (Greece) Bob Balaban Bruno Barreto
(Brazil)
Ed Begley, Jr. Hercules Bellville (UK) Andrea Belokopitsky-Medard
Patricia Benoit Luc Beraud (France) Luc Besson (France)
David Blaine Max Blanchet Marcel Bluwal (France)
Robert Bookman John Boorman (Ireland) Kader Boukhanef
(France)
Judith Boukhanef-Haïm (France) Ron Bozman Taylor
Branch
Adam Brooks Claude Brulé (France) Anthony Calypso
Jean Cl. Carrire (France) Kathleen Carroll Father
Robert Castle
Shari Cavin Mishka Cheyko (France) Ethan Coen
Joel Coen Marc Cohen Alix Conde
Claude Confortes (France) Janet Branch Cooke Roger
Corman
Alain Corneau (France) Jonathan Cott John Cusack
Ophelia Dahl Edwidge Danticat Leslee Dart
Ossie Davis Ruby Dee Jonathan Demme
Ted Demme Robert De Niro Claire Denis (France)
Sophie Deschamps (France) David Dinkins Tashi Dolma
(Tibet)
Louise Doutreligne (France) Robert Downey, Sr. Joel
Dreyfuss
Katherine Dunham Ricot Dupuy Sister Carole East
Nora Ephron Vera Feyder (France) Jacqueline Fils-Aimé
Jean-Paul Fils-Aimé Tony Fitzpatrick Milos
Forman
Gil Friesen Alain Franck (France) Peter Gabriel (UK)
Rene Gattereau Lizi Gelber (France) Joyce George
Richard Gere Amos Gitai (Israel) Danny Glover
Gary Goetzman Spalding Gray Brian Grazer
David Greenberger Lynn Grossman J.-C. Grumberg (France)
Hans Hageman Ivan Hageman Margareta Haïm (France)
Victor Haïm (France) Lisa Gay Hamilton Thomas
Harris
Beth Henley Laurent Heynemann (France) Bonnie Hlinomaz
Caroline Huppert (France) Mary Beth Hurt Amy Irving
Sakina Jaffrey Gina Jarrin Wyclef Jean
Jean Jean-Pierre Margo Jefferson Norman Jewison
Quincy Jones Spike Jonze Nelly Kaplan (France)
Anna Karina (France) Andy Keir Wendy Keys
David E. Kelley Philippe Kelly (France) Polly King
Stephen King Alexa Kleinbard Beth Kling
Lewis Kornhauser Pradip Krishen (India) Michael Kuhling
Christine Lahti Pascal Lainé (France) Vincent
Landay
Darrell Larson Paul Lazar Norman Lear
Spike Lee Patrick Lemoine Pierre-Ange Le Pogam (France)
John Lesher Catherine Leterrier (France) Skip Lievsay
Carol Littleton Sidney Lumet Norman Mailer
Polly Mallinson (UK) Eduardo Manet (France) Michael
Mann
Jean-Pierre Marchand (France) Philippe Mari (France)
Philippe-Richard Marius
Mathilda May (France) Jocelyne Mayas James McBride
Errol McDonald Craig McKay Bevin McNamara
Mike Medavoy Jo Menell Randall Morris
Toni Morrison Teresa Mulha Paul Newman
John Paul Newport Thandie Newton (UK) Rick Nicita
Duafe Nkuruma-Kesee Rainer Nurnberger Ron Nyswaner
Ol Parker (UK) Gene Parseghian Annie-B Parson
Gregory Peck Arthur Penn Suzana Peric
Anna Hamilton Phelan Harold Pinter (UK) Johnny Planco
Lucas Platt Marc Platt Sidney Poitier
Rachel Portman (UK) Chip Post J.F. Prevand (France)
Dominique Probst (France) Robert Redford Ken Regan
Natasha Richardson Emmanuel Rigaut (France) Tim Robbins
Julia Roberts Randall Robinson Jim Roche
Arundhati Roy (India) Peter Saraf Susan Sarandon
Ed Saxon Rob Schmidt Steve Schmidt
Paul Schrader Martin Scorsese Leon Sevilla
Stella Sevilla Bob Shacochis Jim Sheridan (Ireland)
Howard Shore Ken Starr Mary Steenburgen
Rudi Stern Sting Peter Stone
Irwin Stotzky Trudie Styler Rose Styron
Susanna Styron William Styron Barbara Sukowa
J.Ch. Tacchella (France) Mary Tanneberger Valerie
Thomas
Robert Farris Thompson Mary Tobler Jean-Yves UrfiZ
(Italy)
Steven Van Zandt Edie Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Denzel Washington Pauletta Washington Joe Weisbord
Claudette Werleigh Amy Wilentz Robin Williams
Daniel Wolff Alfre Woodard Kristi Zea
cc:
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, President of the
Republic of Haiti
Prime Minister of the Republic of Haiti, S.E Jean
Marie Chérestal
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic
of Haiti, S.E Joseph Philippe Antonio
Minister for Justice and Public Safety of the Republic
of Haiti, Mr. Gary Lissade
Judge dÕInstruction Tribunal Civil de Port
au Prince, Judge Claudy Gassant,
President of the United States of America, The Honorable
Mr. George W. Bush
Secretary of State of the United States of America,
The Honorable Colin L. Powell
US Ambassador to Haiti, Mr. Brian Dean Curran
Prime Minister of France, Mr. Lionel Jospin
Foreign Minister of France, Mr. Hubert Vedrine
French Ambassador to Haiti, S.E Yves Gaudeul
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, The Rt Hon.
Tony Blair
Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office, The Rt Hon. Robin Cook
UK Ambassador to Haiti, Mr. D.G. Ward
Secretary-General, United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan
Executive Director of Amnesty International, Mr. Bill
Schulz
Chairman of Human Rights Watch, Mr. Jonathan Fanton
|
Haiti@inxil.com
· James
R. Morrell, executive director