FL MILITANT RENE CIVIL ARRESTED

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT AU PRINCE 001604

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR
DRL
S/CRS
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR
INR/IAA (BEN-YEHUDA)
TREASURY FOR MAUREEN WAFER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2011
TAGS: PGOV KCRM KJUS ASEC PINR HA
SUBJECT: FL MILITANT RENE CIVIL ARRESTED

REF: A. PAP 1561

B. PAP 1522

C. FBIS LAP 20060827057001

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Thomas C. Tighe for reason 1.4(b
).


1. (C) The Haitian National Police (HNP) on Friday, August
25 arrested Fanmi Lavalas (FL) militant Rene Civil in the
upper-class Petionville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince,
charging him with carrying an unlicensed firearm, driving a
stolen car, and "association with malefactors." Government
prosecutor Claudy Gassant (ref A) arraigned Civil on Monday,
August 28 and remanded him to prison to await a judicial
hearing. Noted Lavalas attorney Mario Joseph represented
Civil. He may now petition a judge for Civil's release on
bail. Joseph also represented three recently released
Lavalas activists, including Annette "So Anne" Auguste (ref
B). Since his return from the Dominican Republic in May,
Civil is widely believed to have been attempting to generate
street protests and disorder among loyalists of former
President Aristide, with little result so far. Presidential
Advisor Robert Manuel told the Ambassador in early August
that he believed that Civil was encouraging gang leaders in
Cite Soleil to take a hard line with him in negotiations over
disarmament; thus Civil was one of the factors in the failure
of those early discussions.


2. (SBU) The Police report that Civil was arrested with two
other individuals. Police sources indicate that the driver
of the vehicle, Widlin Julmice, is member of the HNP's
"Special Guard Unit of the National Palace" (USGPN) who
deserted his post in December 2005. Julmice remains in
custody and subject to discipline by the HNP. Sources
indicate that an informant (another auto thief in HNP
custody) alerted the HNP to Civil's possession of the car,
reported stolen in the Dominican Republic in 2000.


3. (C) Comment: Much to post's dismay, FL Senator Rudy
Heriveaux publicly condemned the arrest, noting that it came
at a sensitive time and questioning the seriousness of the
charges. Heriveaux is a close embassy contact who has
stressed in conversations with emboffs that he and other FL
moderates in parliament are opposed to Civil and the FL's
militant faction. Post will raise Heriveaux's defense of
Civil with him at the first opportunity. We see no evidence
that other FL militants calling for Civil's immediate release
can make good on their threats to "block the country" (ref
C). As reported earlier (ref B),Civil has been at large
since May and been unable to rally any significant number of
supporters to his cause.


4. (C) Comment continued. The GoH's swift action on this
case is encouraging. Gassant's arraignment of Civil within
one working day of his arrest marks a striking new efficiency
(at least in this case) of the justice system. Equally
encouraging is that the HNP were apparently able to turn a
tip from an informant into a quick arrest.
TIGHE