(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) welcomes the release of Mr. Yvon Neptune, Prime Minister of Haiti in the Aristide government, following an order by the Appeals Court of Haiti. CARICOM had repeatedly condemned the abuse of due process and of the rule of law associated with the prolonged detention without trial of Mr. Neptune.

The high profile personality of Mr. Neptune should not obscure the fact that a large number of persons supportive of former President Aristide arrested arbitrarily for what appeared to be political reasons under the Interim Administration have also been denied justice, remaining in prolonged detention without trial or charge. In its April 2006 Communiqué, the CARICOM Council for Foreign and Community Relations after reiterating its concerns over these grave human rights violations had called on the Interim Administration “to take the necessary measures to rectify this objectionable situation” before it demitted office.

The new constitutional government of Haiti has underlined the emphasis it places on strengthening the judiciary in order to uphold the rule of law and due process. The earlier release of Mr. Privert, a former Minister of the Interior and now of Mr. Neptune following judicial decisions are a hopeful sign of change which CARICOM hopes will extend to other persons wrongly arrested and imprisoned.