Kolektif Fanmiy Prizonye Politk Still Seeking Release of Political Prisoners

“Against the plan of Alexandre Boniface and of Gerald Latortue, we created organizations to be able to resist” declares a female member of Kolektif Fanmiy Prizonye Politik. New organizations formed to combat repression under Gerard Latortue in response to the silence of many human rights groups in Haiti who, in contrast, had disproportionately criticized Aristide's government.

Another new human rights group is GDP (Group of Defence of the Rights of the Political prisoners) - led by Ronald Saint-Jean. Like Kolektif Fanmiy Prizonye Politik, they work closely with the Office of International Lawyers (BAI) represented in Haiti by Mario Joseph.

On February 7, 2006 Haitians elected Rene Garcia Preval as President. Preval was a minister in Aristide's first government which was also overthrown in a coup - in that case seven months after it took power. Massive resistance to the coup, among other reasons, provoked US president Bill Clinton to restore Aristide to power in 1994. In 1996 the first constitutional change of government took place as Aristide stepped aside for Rene Preval.

In Saint Marc, protestors have called for the release of former Lavalas Deputy Amanus Maette, who has been imprisoned since March 19, 2004 in connection with the "La Scierie" case. ”It is a case manufactured by Marie Yolene Jules of RNDDH" said Mrs. Ketia Maette, wife of the former Deputy, who gathered with ten other people in front of the Ministry of Justice on the third anniversary of her husband's illegal detention.

RNNDH is a Haitian human rights group, formerly known as NCHR, that has been funded by USAID and CIDA (the Canadian International Development Agency). The group heavily criticized the elected Aristide government (2001-2004) for human rights violations but fell silent on many of the most outrageous and far more numerous abuses under the interim government (2004-2006). Former UN Human Rights Commissioner in Haiti, Theirry Fagart, has expressed tremendous doubt about RNDDH's version of the "La Scierie" incident.

“We come here, before the Parliament, to ask the deputies to release Amanus Amette because everyone knows he is in prison for political reasons. Today it is Maette, but who will it be tomorrow” said Ronald Faro, spokesman for CONADH (Organization for the defence of the rights and knowledge in Haiti), another organization which like GDP and Klektif Fanmiy Prizonye Politik was formed to work for the release of political prisoners.

A common message given from the families of the political prisoners was, "We voted on February 7, 2006 to free political prisoners" and they are waiting for this to become reality. The organizaiton has led numerous demonstrations calling for the release of political prisoners. The protests have continued long into Preval's second administration, often taking place in front of the Prime Minister's office.

Deputé Wilot Joseph of the Commune of Maissade, Department of the Center, stated: ”We will form a delegation to see the Minister of Justice on this questions because only Deputé Amnus Maette is still in prison because of the La Scierie incident. Former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune and former Minister of the Interior Joceleme Privert have been released. Why is Depute Maette in prison today?”

Impatience is growing among the members of Kolektif Fanmiy Prizonye Politk and others over the government's inaction as loved ones remain in jail. One hundred political prisoners remain in jail according to a list compiled by the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH). A recent report put out by the U.S. Department of State completely ignored the illegal jailings.