Madame Ambassador,

The British solidarity organisation, the Haiti Support Group, has today sent you a copy of a petition signed by six hundred British people asking President Aristide to intervene to obtain the immediate and unconditional release of the six Batay Ouvriye union members (and three public transport drivers) who have been incarcerated in prisons in Port-au-Prince since 29th May.

These six hundred people join with the Haiti Support Group in denouncing the threats made against the unions affiliated to the First of May-Batay Ouvriye union federation, and in calling for the arrest of all those implicated in the murder of the two union members at Guacimal, St. Raphael, on 27th May.

The Haiti Support Group asks you to convey, without any delay, our concerns to President Aristide and Jean-Baptiste Brown, the Minister of Justice. We are calling for immediate action on the part of the Haitian authorities.

If the illegal and prolonged detention of these union members continues, the Haiti Support Group will not hesitate to mobilise its solidarity network in Britain and the rest of Europe.