05-2-06,9:07am
In the face of mounting international pressure, on Jan. 29 Haitian de facto authorities allowed political prisoner Father Gérard Jean-Juste to provisionally leave his jail cell and fly to Miami to obtain medical treatment for recently contracted pneumonia as well as leukemia, with which he was diagnosed almost two months ago (see Haïti Progrès, Vol. 23, No. 39, 12/7/2006).
Accompanied from Haiti by one of his North American lawyers, Bill Quigley, Jean-Juste flew on American Airlines to Miami where he was met at the airport by about 25 people, including leaders from Veye Yo, the Miami-based popular organization he helped found in the 1980s when he directed the Haitian Refugee Center. Among those in the welcoming committee were Lavarice Gaudin, Farah Juste, Lucie Tondreau, Veronique Fleurimé, and Reginald 'Konpè Rere' Boyer. North American supporters like Jack Lieberman, Carolyn Thompson, and Steve Forester were also on hand.
Jean-Juste was then driven directly to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where Dr. Paul Farmer of Partners in Health awaited him to do an examination. He was admitted to the hospital and will spend several days receiving tests and treatment.
'The doctor performed a biopsy, and we'll have results in about three days,' reports Tony Jean-Thénord, a Veye Yo leader, on Jan. 31. 'His neck is still swollen. But he is in good spirits, fighting spirits, as usual.'
Jean-Juste had been held without charges in jail for 192 days, since he was arrested on Jul. 21, 2005 after helping to officiate at the funeral of assassinated journalist Jacques Roche, who was also his cousin (see Haïti Progrès, Vol. 23, No. 20, 7/27/2005). He was accused informally of organizing Roche's murder, although he was out of the country at the time.
A Haitian judge last week dismissed those charges but brought others against the priest for illegal weapons possession and criminal conspiracy (see Haïti Progrès, Vol. 23, No. 46, 01/25/2006). Jean-Juste's lawyers are appealing the indictment.
Unless the indictments are dismissed on appeal, Jean-Juste has agreed to eventually return to Haiti to stand trial.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, thousands of Haitians spontaneously massed outside the Veye Yo meeting hall on Little Haiti's 54th Street, expecting Jean-Juste to show up. The Miami Police began to get aggressive with the crowd and Veye Yo leaders had to call Representative Kendrick Meek. He intervened with the Miami police chief, diffusing the confrontation. The demonstrators rallied all day until about 9 p.m.
'It was a very joyous day for the Haitian community in Miami,' said Lavarice Gaudin.
