Help Manno Charlemagne

To the Editors:

As a representative of “Americans for Manno,” I wish to express our urgent concern for the safety of Manno Charlemagne, the popular Haitian singer and political activist. After the September 30 military coup against Haiti’s democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Charlemagne was beaten by soldiers and jailed without charges, and his wife was forced into hiding. Immediately upon his release on October 18 he was abducted and held in military custody, again without charges, until October 25. He has taken refuge in Haiti’s Argentine embassy since the end of October.

We call upon the provisional government of Haiti to ensure the safety of Charlemagne and to allow him to join his family in Guadeloupe, which has offered him political asylum.

Jonathan Demme
Americans for Manno, New York City