[Bloquez l'empire!] urgent alert: free haitian political detainee in windsor!!!

[aaron at resist.ca]

please find below an urgent action alert concerning Haitian pro-democracy
organizer and refugee claimant jean candio, currently being detained by
the canadian government on trumped-up and politicized charges (see action
items at the bottom of this email)...

JEAN CANDIO - A POLITICAL PRISONER OF THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT
Canada Haiti Action Network / Jean Candio Defense Committee

Jean Candio has been imprisoned in Windsor, Ontario since December 13, 2006.

He left Haiti in March, 2004, following the Coup d'etat which culminated
in the kidnapping of democratically elected Haitian President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide. He left as a result of persecution brought about
against the Lavalas movement and Party by the U.S./Canadian and French
installed interim government which brought back to power many criminal
forces from the previous periods of dictatorship in Haiti.

In May of 2000 Mr. Candio was elected deputy in the Haitian Parliament. He
represented the 2nd region of Aquin. He was elected with 91% of the vote.

Prior to the 1991 coup d'etat, Mr. Candio was a Vice-Delegate in the first
Aristide government, under Prime Minister Rene Preval, responsible for
education and community programs in the region of Aquin from March 2, 1991
until September 30, 1991. After the 1991 coup, Mr. Candio was forced into
exile  - along with most of the Aristide government - until 1994.

The 2004 coup, like the 1991 coup, was orchestrated and financed by
foreign powers, specifically, in the most recent case by the governments
of the U.S., Canada and France. Canada, along with the U.S. sent its
troops to Haiti prior to the Coup, which eventually participated in the
kidnapping of Haitian President Aristide. Canadian Forces secured the
airport from which Aristide was taken out of the country by U.S. marines.

Mr. Candio was an outspoken critic of foreign interference in Haiti's
affairs, particularly of U.S. interference in Haitian politics. As a
result, following the coup, his family was threatened, some of them
murdered. His house was burned to the ground, while his sister was still
in it.

He fled Haiti initially to the Dominican Republic and then to the United
States in March of 2004.

He was living in the U.S., with his wife, from that time. From March 2006
to April 2006 he was detained in the U.S. by INS. He was released after
negotiating a voluntary departure.

On December 13 he crossed the Canada U.S. border at Windsor, leaving his
wife and newborn child in the U.S. while he sought refugee status in
Canada, where, if successful they would follow.

At the border he immediately requested political asylum in Canada. He was
detained from that time until today at the Brock Street Prison in Windsor,
Ontario.

>From the time of his detention Windsor activists affiliated with the
Canada Haiti Action Network, and NDP Member of Parliament Joe Comartin's
office, became informed of his presence and began visiting him and
corresponding with his friends in the U.S.

The Canadian government's justification for imprisoning Jean Candio and
seeking to deport him is based not only on allegations against him as an
individual. Canada is arguing that Mr. Candio was a "senior official" in a
government that "engages or has engaged in terrorism, systematic or gross
human rights violations, or genocide..."

Canada is therefore taking its brutal, anti-democratic policy in Haiti to
a new level by criminalizing Lavalas - the massively popular movement that
has dominated Haitian elections since 1990.

Mr. Candio can easily refute the allegations against him. He has documents
(updated to September, 2006) that show he has no police record in Haiti -
notwithstanding wild allegations that have been made on anti-Lavalas
websites.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL'S ROLE

Though Amnesty has not accused Mr. Candio of wrongdoing, it reported, in
April, 2001, one of the minor accusations that had been made against him
by NCHR (now RNDDH)  - a thoroughly discredited and partisan Haitian human
rights group. Canada has cited this Amnesty report as evidence against Mr.
Candio. Appeals were immediately made to Amnesty asking them to state the
obvious about NCHR (RMDDH) and to defend Mr. Candio's rights. [see
http://www.canadahaitiaction.ca/article.php?id=222]

THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS CASE

If Canada criminalizes Mr. Candio's association with Lavalas it will have
criminalized Haiti's poor majority. In every election since 1990 it is the
Lavalas movement that has prevailed - not through violence - but through
the overwhelming support of the Haiti's poor. Their opponents, on the
other hand, have shot their way into power twice since 1990. It is Lavalas
opponents  - not the beseiged Lavalas governments - who have committed
gross and systemic human rights abuses; yet Mr, Candio sits in jail as
this is written - not the dictator Gerard Latortue, nor his Canadian
allies - Paul Martrin and Pierre Pettigrew. Those who have trampled on the
rights of the poor - like Gerard Latortue - are welcomed as statesmen by
the Canadian government.

The audacity of what the Canadian government is attempting to do through
this case speaks volumes about the failure of progressive to oppose what
Canada has done in Haiti. Canadians owe it to Jean Candio, his family, and
the thousands murdered, raped and driven into hiding since the coup to
finally put a stop to Canada's criminal policy in Haiti. Do not allow
Canada to criminalize the victims of its policy.

WRITE TO THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT
Steven Harper
pm at pm.gc.ca<http://petrel.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=pm%40pm.gc.ca>

including members of the opposition
Jack Layton
laytoj at parl.gc.ca<http://petrel.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=laytoj%40parl.gc.ca>
Alexa McDonough
mcdonough.a at parl.gc.ca<http://petrel.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=mcdonough.a%40parl.gc.ca>
Gilles Duceppe
Duceppe.G at parl.gc.ca<http://petrel.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=Duceppe.G%40parl.gc.ca>
Stéphane Dion
Dion.S at parl.gc.ca<http://petrel.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=Dion.S%40parl.gc.ca>

Please tell them you oppose any efforts by Canada to criminalize
association with Lavalas movement or past Aristide governments. Ask them
to free Mr. Candio and ensure that he is granted an open and fair refugee
hearing.

WRITE TO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
amnestyis at amnesty.org<http://petrel.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=amnestyis%40amnesty.org>
Info at amnesty.ca<http://petrel.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=Info%40amnesty.ca>

Ask them to state the obvious about NCHR (RNDDH) and express concern for
Jean Candio's rights. Ask them to publicly oppose any efforts by Canada to
criminalize association with Lavalas or former Haitian President Aristide.

WRITE TO THE CANADIAN MEDIA

Ask them to give this story the careful, honest and detailed attention it
deserves. Please write to write to editors and columnists in the local and
national press. Below are some people you may consider:

Linda McQuaig
lmcquaig at sympatico.ca<http://petrel.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=lmcquaig%40sympatico.ca>
Rick Salutin
rsalutin at globeandmail.ca<http://petrel.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=rsalutin%40globeandmail.ca>
Naomi Klein
media at nologo.org<http://petrel.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=media%40nologo.org>
Ed Greenspon
egreenspon at globeandmail.ca<http://petrel.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=egreenspon%40globeandmail.ca>
Bill Schiller
bschiller at thestar.ca<http://petrel.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=bschiller%40thestar.ca>
Marina Jimenez
mjimenez at globeandmail.com<http://petrel.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=mjimenez%40globeandmail.com>

PLEASE COPY YOUR LETTERS TO
jemersberger at aol.com<http://petrel.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=jemersberger%40aol.com>
if you wish them to be posted on the CHAN website

TO DONATE TO MR. CANDIO'S LEGAL DEFENCE

Send an email with your pledge to
jemersberger at aol.com<http://petrel.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=jemersberger%40aol.com>
You will then be advised where to mail your donation.

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