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Haiti: Robinson Pierre-Louis, lawyer and general secretary of the Federation of Haitian Bars, has been arrested
On 22 July 2022, Robinson Pierre-Louis, secretary of the Port-au-Prince Bar and general secretary of the Federation of Haitian Bars (FBH), was arrested and held in custody by the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ).
This arrest occurred following his hearing by the Financial and Economic Affairs’ Office (BAF), even though Mr. Pierre-Louis had voluntarily come to respond to a simple invitation in the context of an arms trafficking case, on which he had intervened as a lawyer. Mr. Pierre-Louis‘ arrest was carried out without the existence of flagrante delicto and in the absence of a warrant issued by a competent judicial authority, in violation of articles 24 and following of the Constitution and the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code, as well as the guarantees provided by the Decree of 29 March 1979, which requires prior referral to the Port-au-Prince Bar.On 30 July, Robinson Pierre-Louis was transferred to the National Penitentiary Centre where he is still being held.
The OIAD denounces the conditions of this arbitrary arrest, which was carried out without the existence of flagrante delicto and in the absence of a warrant issued by a competent judicial authority, in violation of articles 24 and following of the Constitution and the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code, as well as the guarantees provided by the Decree of 29 March 1979, which requires prior referral to the Port-au-Prince Bar.
The arrest of our colleague Pierre Louis is a flagrant and unacceptable identification of him to his clients and the OIAD expresses its total solidarity with the Port-au-Prince Bar and the Federation of Haitian Bars, which have mobilised in support of our colleague.
The OIAD calls on the Haitian authorities to respect the fundamental rights of Mr. Robinson Pierre-Louis and the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, which include the following:
„Lawyers shall not be identified with their clients or their clients‘ causes as a result of discharging their functions.” (Principle 18)
The OIAD will follow the situation of Mr. Robinson Pierre-Louis with particular attention, in close collaboration with the Haitian authorities representing the profession.