Good News/Bad News

The good news is that former political prisoner Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste is returning to Haiti for a weekend visit. It is good news because it shows that Fr. Gerry's recovery from leukemia has gone far, and that Haiti's justice system is progressing far enough that Fr. Gerry is counting on it respecting his rights (more on the visit and the legal situation below).

The bad news is Hurricane Dean, scheduled to be off Haiti's south coast by mid-day Saturday. The current forecast has the eye passing  about 100 miles south of Les Cayes. There is a 30% chance that Haiti will be hit by hurricane force winds, 80% for tropical storm force winds. See National Hurricane Information Center  for details an updates.

Miami August 16, 2007

   From the desk of Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste
        E-mail address: njeranjeri@yahoo.com
        Tel: 786-290-1750 (USA) 509- 405-3244 (Haiti)

   To Friends and Journalists

    Honorable Brothers and Sisters,

      Friday August 17, 2007, by the grace of the Living God, I will fly home for the first time since January 29, 2006. I intend to make a pilgrimage at my parish St. Clare's, Tiplas Kazo.

      I will join my prayers to the parishioners and pilgrimers to beg God's blessing for all Haitians and suffering human beings around the world. Those compatriots who are performing good deeds deserve encouragement. Others who are still stubborn in violating People's rights should have a change of heart.

      Let's all give Haiti a chance. No more coup-d'Etat. No more kidnapping.  May the Haitian Exiles return, especially former President Dr. Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Release the political prisoners, particularly Rene Civil. Basic human needs for all Peoples with immediate attention to the very needy Haitian compatriots.

      May all of us be inspired by this wisdom from former USA President J. F. Kennedy: "...Ask what you can do for your country."

      With Dr. M.L.King, jr. I 'll conclude"

              "LET FREEDOM RING!"

____________________
Update on Fr. Jean-Juste's legal status: Fr. Jean-Juste has faced charges for murder, conspiracy and gun possession, since September 2004, all levied under the unconstitutional Interim Government of Haiti. He has spent a total of nine months in pre-trial detention.  Eventually, the investigating judge dismissed all but the gun possession charges as unfounded. The judge maintained the gun charges, even though his charging document does not even allege that Fr. Jean-Juste ever possessed the guns in question, that the guns still exist, or that the guns were ever illegally in the possession of anyone.

Meanwhile, Fr. Jean-Juste was released from prison when he was diagnosed with leukemia, to go to the U.S. for treatment. He has been treated in Miami since January 2006, and has made significant, but not complete, progress.

Fr. Jean-Juste appealed the charging document against him. In a hearing earlier this year, the appeals court prosecutor conceded that the gun possession charges were baseless, and should be dismissed. The Appeals Court, however, decided that it could not make a final decision without questioning Fr. Jean-Juste. At the time, Fr. Jean-Juste was unable to travel to Haiti because of the risk of infection. The Appeals Court cannot hear the case at this time, becuase it is in its sumer recess. The Court has scheduled a hearing for November, which Fr. Jean-Juste has said he fully expects to attend.