26231: HACtion***Urgent Action Alert***Demand the Release of Kevin Pina & Jean Ristil (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Haiti Action Committee <haitiaction@yahoo.com>

Urgent Action Alert -- from the Haiti Action Committee

Demand release of US Filmmaker Kevin Pina and Haitian Journalist Jean Ristil!
Stop arbitrary arrests and detentions!

On Friday September 9, at approximately 3 p.m., Haitian police wearing black
masks from the Delmas police station entered Father Gerard Jean-Juste's St.
Claire church and began searching the presbytery, according to people at the
church. Rev. Jean-Juste is a leading advocate of human rights in Haiti and an
Amnesty International-designated prisoner of conscience. Upon seeing the police
invade the church, people called as many journalists as they could.

US filmmaker and journalist Kevin Pina and Haitian journalist Jean Ristil
Jean-Baptiste responded to the call, arrived at the scene to cover the story,
and were arrested. The police brought both journalists to the Delmas 33 police
station where they remain incarcerated.

According to an AP dispatch in Newsday, Pina was detained "after filming the
police as they searched the church of the Rev. Jean-Juste. Jean Ristil, a
Haitian who was working for the Associated Press, was detained as he tried to
photograph the arrest."

A US human rights team went to the lock-up unit Friday night to attempt to
clarify the reasons for the arrest and to ensure that the two men were being
properly treated.

Kevin is one of the few US journalists who have consistently dared to be on the
scene in Haiti and to tell the truth about the repression occurring under the
coup regime. Jean is a courageous and professional young Haitian journalist.
Both journalists were arrested on September 9th while covering this important
development in the persecution of Father Jean-Juste, who is being held as a
political prisoner.


Jean Ristil and Kevin Pina need your immediate support to protect their lives,
obtain their release from captivity, and ensure their ability to continue doing
their job as journalists without any further threats, harassment or
intimidation.





Please email, call and/or fax the following UN and US officials over the
weekend
and again on Monday.

US Officials on Haiti:
U.S. Charge d'Affaires, Timothy Carney
United States Embassy, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Telephones: 011-509-223-4711, or 222-0200 or 0354
Fax: 011-509-223-1641 or 9038
Email to Dana Banks, Human Rights Officer:
BanksD@state.gov
OVER THE WEEKEND -- Call 011-509-222-0200 and press "0" for emergency, to get a
live person.

UN Leadership in Haiti:
Juan Gabriel Valdes
Special Representative of the UN Sec.-General to Haiti
Ph: 011-509-244-9650
Fax: 011-509-244-3512
valdes@un.org

UN Civilian Police in Haiti:
Graham Muir, Chief, UNPOL
muir@un.org

UN Human Rights Officials in Haiti:
Thierry Fagart
Ph: 011- 509-510-3183 ext. 6360
fagart@un.org

Officials of the Haiti's de facto regime:
Henri Dorleans, Minister of Justice
011-509-245-5856

For a more complete list of people to contact and for more information on this
situation, go to:
www.haitiaction.net




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