Gérard Jean-Juste

Fr. Gérard Jean-Juste (February 7, 1946 – May 27, 2009) was a Roman Catholic priest and rector of Saint Claire's church for the poor in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.^{[citation needed]} He was also a liberation theologian and a supporter of the Fanmi Lavalas political party, the largest in Haiti. In 1978, Father Jean-Juste founded the Haitian Refugee Center in Miami, Florida, United States. He was characterized as a beloved figure among South Florida's Haitian community.

He gained renown throughout Haiti and the Haitian diaspora as a determined opponent of the interim government of Prime Minister Gérard Latortue. Gérard Latortue's de facto rule came about after the violent overthrow of the government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide by anti-government rebels (see 2004 Haiti rebellion).

In November 2004, he was released from prison by police after seven weeks in incarceration, following outcries of opposition to his incarceration.

2005 Arrest by Interim Government

On July 21, 2005, following a return a trip from Miami, Florida Jean-Juste was arrested by police in Haiti in connection with the abduction and murder in Haiti of journalist Jacques Roche. This was despite the fact that Jean-Juste was not present in Haiti at the times of both Roche's abduction (July 10) and the discovery of his mutilated, bullet-riddled body (July 14).^{[citation needed]} No evidence was presented against Jean-Juste, and it was widely understood that the trial was politically motivated by unelected officials in the interim regime.^{[citation needed]} Jean-Juste, who had appeared at Roche's funeral to pay his respects, was mobbed, assaulted, and accused of being involved in the murder by Roche's family immediately following the service.^{[citation needed]}

On July 28, 2005, Amnesty International designated Jean-Juste a prisoner of conscience.

He also emerged as a potential candidate for the Fanmi Lavalas party in the 2006 General elections in Haiti which, after several postponements, took place on February 7, 2006.

In August 2005, officials of the Fanmi Lavalas party threatened to boycott the elections if Jean-Juste and other alleged political prisoners were not released. They believed Jean-Juste's arrest, made by the opposition-controlled interim government, was an effort to prevent Lavalas from again prevailing in elections.^{[citation needed]} In September 2005, Lavalas attempted to register the incarcerated Jean-Juste as a candidate for President, but the attempt was were denied. The provisional electoral council said that Haitian electoral law required all candidates to register in person.^{[citation needed]} On February 7, 2005, Jean-Juste formally endorsed René Préval.

In late December 2005, a U.S. medical doctor confirmed a colleague's initial diagnosis that Jean-Juste had cancer. After examining Jean-Juste and analyzing a blood sample drawn from him, prominent Harvard University physician and Aristide supporter Paul Farmer said Jean-Juste had chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Farmer said the disease was not immediately fatal, but can develop into a more virulent strain of cancer. He told the Miami Herald, "Father Gerry's in serious trouble if he isn't released from jail to receive proper medical attention in the United States."

Fr. Jean-Juste was represented legally by Haitian human rights lawyer Mario Joseph of the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux and by Bill Quigley, a professor at Loyola New Orleans Law School and a volunteer lawyer for the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti. On January 26, 2006, a judge dropped charges against Jean-Juste regarding the death of Roche.^{[citation needed]} However, Jean-Juste was indicted on two lesser counts of weapons possession and conspiracy, according to Jean-Juste's lawyer, Mario Joseph.^{[citation needed]}

On January 29, 2006, Jean-Juste, after having been granted temporary release by the interim Haitian government, arrived in Miami to receive medical treatment for his leukemia.

On September 11, 2006, the University of San Francisco conferred an Honorary Doctorate degree on Fr. Jean-Juste to recognize his human rights and social justice work on behalf of Haiti's poor.

On November 26, 2007, the Court of Appeals of Port-au-Prince heard Jean-Juste's challenges to the remaining charges against him- weapons possession and criminal conspiracy.^{[citation needed]} Jean-Juste declared that "my rosary is my only weapon." The prosecutor even conceded that there was no evidence in the file against Jean-Juste, and asked that the charges be dismissed. Although Jean-Juste's appeal was filed 22 months previously, the Haitian Appeals Court judges declined to dismiss the case on the grounds that they needed more time to consider it. Large crowds of Fanmi Lavalas supporters gathered to cheer on the Jean-Juste.

In a June 2008 interview with HaitiAnalysis, Jean-Juste confirmed that all charges had been dropped against him.

Fr. Jean-Juste died on May 27, 2009, in Florida after a long illness.

External links

• Miami Herald Article, August 2005 (Link dead as of 03:02, 15 January 2007 (UTC))
• sevenoaksmag.com
• HaitiAction.Net
• The Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haïti
• Haiti Action Committee
• HaitiAnalysis Articles on Father Jean-Juste appeared frequently.