Haitian Police Arrest Senate President in Standoff

Dozens of heavily armed police surrounded the building of independent Radio Caraibes FM in the capital, Port-au-Prince, to arrest the Lavalas partisans.

They were arrested in connection with the killing of three police officers during a series of violent protests in which 12 other people also died during the last three days, officials at the radio station said.

After an 11-hour standoff, the officers stormed the building and took the trio away in handcuffs.

One of those arrested was Senate President Yvon Fuille, who denied involvement in the violence and who has immunity from arrest under Haiti's constitution.

"I am not involved in any criminal activity. I am the president of the Senate and, according to the Haitian constitution, the police cannot arrest me even with a warrant," Fuille said during the standoff. "This is totally arbitrary and this shows the will of the government to persecute members of the Lavalas family party."

Aristide went into exile in February amid an armed revolt, and members of his Lavalas Family party have since accused the interim government of persecuting them.

Fuille was a guest on a morning talk show, along with two other Lavalas members -- party leader Gerald Gilles and Rudy Herrvaux, a former member of Haiti's Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Parliament. The trio exchanged views on the show with Aristide opponents.

Police showed up to arrest the three Lavalas members early Saturday morning. When the station director, Patrick Moussignac, refused them entry, police surrounded the building and prevented those inside from leaving.

Eleven hours later, the officers stormed the building, handcuffed the trio and took them away. They also arrested a lawyer for Fuille, who had attempted to negotiate an end to the stalemate.

The officers said the Lavalas partisans were wanted in connection with the killing of three policemen during a series of rallies that began on Thursday in support of Aristide's return.

Police fired live ammunition and dispersed the pro-Aristide marchers as they approached the National Palace on Thursday.

U.N. peacekeepers, sent to stabilize Haiti after Aristide's departure, have guarded the palace and blocked surrounding streets since then. But violent confrontations between police and armed gangs have flared through the weekend in several Port-au-Prince slums that were a stronghold of Aristide support.

One policeman was shot and killed in Thursday's confrontation and two decapitated bodies believed to be those of missing plainclothes policemen were recovered during a gunfight in the Cite Soleil slum on Friday.

Twelve other people have also been killed in subsequent police raids in the pro-Aristide slum neighborhoods, including a 15-year-old boy who was shot in the head.

Police said they had found a stash of weapons in a car belonging to one of the Lavalas officials, Gilles.

Gilles said he did not own the car and had no idea who did.

Justice Minister Bernard Gousse said police had no arrest warrants but acted to prevent further violence.

"We did not have any guarantee that if we had let those men leave, the capital of Port-au-Prince was going to be calm tonight," Gousse said.

He said the arrests were not intended to deter press freedom. The station director said Radio Caraibes would cease broadcasting.

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