AU-PRINCE, HAITI, JULY 27, SPA - FORMER HAITIAN PRIME MINISTER YVON NEPTUNE HAS BEEN ORDERED RELEASED FROM PRISON, WHERE HE HAS SPENT MORE THAN TWO YEARS FOLLOWING THE OUSTER OF PRESIDENT JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE, A PRISON OFFICIAL SAID ON THURSDAY, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS HAVE REPEATEDLY CALLED ON HAITI TO FREE NEPTUNE, WHO WAS ARRESTED IN JUNE 2004, A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE POPULIST ARISTIDE GAVE UP THE PRESIDENCY IN THE FACE OF A BLOODY REBELLION. NEW PRESIDENT RENE PREVAL HAD SAID EARLIER THIS WEEK THAT EFFORTS WERE BEING MADE TO FREE NEPTUNE. "WE HAVE RECEIVED THE ORDER FROM THE APPEAL COURT TO FREE NEPTUNE," SAID WILKENS JEAN-MARC, HAITI'S CHIEF OF PRISONS. NEPTUNE WAS AMONG HUNDREDS OF ARISTIDE SUPPORTERS JAILED BY A U.S.-BACKED INTERIM GOVERNMENT AFTER ARISTIDE WENT INTO EXILE. THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER, WHO HAS SAID HE WAS ON A HUNGER STRIKE FOR THE LAST 15 MONTHS, WAS PACKING HIS BAGS AT THE PRISON ON THURSDAY IN PREPARATION FOR HIS RELEASE. HE EXPRESSED SOME RESERVATION ABOUT THE WAY HE WAS BEING FREED, APPARENTLY BECAUSE IT WAS UNACCOMPANIED BY A DECLARATION ABSOLVING HIM OF WRONGDOING. "THAT'S NOT EXACTLY THE WAY I WANTED IT TO HAPPEN," NEPTUNE SAID. "BUT THE ESSENTIAL IS THAT I'M GOING TO RECOVER MY FREEDOM AFTER OVER TWO YEARS OF INJUSTICE." THE ORDER FOR HIS RELEASE WAS MADE PUBLIC A DAY AFTER NEPTUNE TALKED TO REPORTERS FROM HIS CELL AT THE NATIONAL PENITENTIARY ANNEX IN PORT-AU-PRINCE. IN THE INTERVIEW, HE SAID HAITI'S NEW GOVERNMENT WOULD BE PARTLY TO BLAME IF HE DIED WHILE IN PRISON ON CHARGES HE CALLED FALSE AND POLITICALLY MOTIVATED. HE SAID HIS ARREST WAS A POLITICAL DECISION BY INTERIM PRIME MINISTER GERARD LATORTUE AND FORMER JUSTICE MINISTER BERNARD GOUSSE. NEPTUNE HAD SERVED UNDER ARISTIDE, WHO WAS DRIVEN OUT IN FEBRUARY 2004 DURING AN ARMED REBELLION. NEPTUNE WAS DETAINED ON ACCUSATIONS THAT HE MASTERMINDED WHAT ARISTIDE'S OPPONENTS CALLED A MASSACRE ON FEB. 11, 2004, IN LA SCIERIE, A SMALL VILLAGE NEAR THE WESTERN PORT CITY OF ST. MARC. NEPTUNE HAS REPEATEDLY DENIED THE ACCUSATIONS AND HAS NEVER BEEN TRIED. HE COMPLAINED THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY THAT ONCE CHAMPIONED HIS CASE HAD ABANDONED HIM. ON WEDNESDAY, NEPTUNE ACCUSED THE ADMINISTRATION OF PREVAL, A ONE-TIME ARISTIDE ALLY WHO TOOK OFFICE IN MAY, OF CONTINUING THE "REIGN OF INJUSTICE."
