Political prisoners: unacceptable deals

The HAT’s Justice Minister doesn’t loosen the grip on the political prisoners. “It is a release, but in no way the judicial procedure cancellation”, warned Christine Razanamahasoa. She put the necessity to accept formalities and procedures forward, to explain the time gap between the announcement of the Maputo agreements and the release of political prisoners. “An international agreement would not stipulate that the release should be immediate”, she explained. 

The Justice Minister is putting the release the Ravalomanana mobility prisoners on conditions though they haven’t yet accepted to sign up to any engagement to stay away from politics. “It’s being said that these engagements are too specific, in any case, they are already match the principal purpose, the respect of the Maputo agreements”, she altered. 

Raharinaivo Andrianatoandro, Henri Razakariasa, Mejamirado Razafimihary and Henri Rabesahala came out of jail on Saturday. The strange release order has been required from them. The Ravalomanana regime’s big figures have been asked to sign a letter of engagement according to which they will commit no action aiming to destabilize the transitional regime, political demonstrations included. 

The concerned persons only accepted to sign the first political commitment proposed by the Republic’s procurator, which consists “in respecting the Maputo Charter’s terms”. The TIM technocrats refused to give up their civic rights, they turned down the commitment “neither to organize nor attend meetings likely to exacerbate political tension, and neither to organize nor to attend meetings likely to jeopardize public order”. In clear words, having any political activity would have been forbidden to them, let alone taking part into demonstrations. 

For the one that has been arrested as legalistic Prime minister appointed by president Ravalomanana, the second and third commitments are just as so unacceptable. The release of Manandafy Rakotonirina has become an unequivocal condition to the involvement of the Ravalomanana mobility in the second meeting Maputo four party talks. 

Ihanta Randriamandranto, the leader of the legalistic women, recovered freedom without having compelled to commit to put her political struggle aside. The Vakinankaratra region’s four TIM parliamentarians should be following suit very soon. 

According to the HAT’s Justice minister, political prisoners will be out of trouble only when the amnesty law is being voted by the transition’s convention. She insisted on the fact that justice could refuse amnesty to some suspects fundamentally unfit to enjoy it because of the nature of their crimes. Therefore, the HAT is to grant a seemingly temporary freedom to its political adversaries. The independence of justice has never ever been as so compromised as nowadays.