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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. Carrire (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

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