Wednesday, more than a hundred lawyers in robes, marched in the streets of Port-au-Prince to demand the revocation of Francisco René, the Government Commissioner of Port-au-Prince to have proceeded to the supposedly illegal and arbitrary arrest of Me André Michel in the evening of Tuesday, October 22, 2013 following his refusal to obey an order of a police officer to get out of his vehicle and authorises the search of the latter [and no following to a warrant issued as several attempts to suggest...]

The protest march began at 10:30 am in front of the old courthouse passing in front the former palace of the ministries and the National Palace and ends at the Ministry of Justice. This event, supervised by agents of the body of intervention and enforcement (CIMO), received the support of many bars, including that of Les Cayes, the Croix-des-Bouquets, Gonaives, Hinche, Miragoâne, Petit-Goâve, Saint-Marc. Several well-known lawyers made an appearance in the march including : Me Aviol Fleurant, Me Camille Leblanc, Me Carlos Hercule [the president of the Bar Association of Port-au-Prince], Me Gervais Charles, Me Reynold Georges...

Activists around the Lavalas movement, Mirlande Manigat, a member of the "Patriotic Movement of Democratic Opposition (MOPOD)", Guy Numa, member of the Popular Democratic Movement (MODEP), Rony Thimotée of "Fòs patriyotik pou respè konstitisyon" (Fopark) and other various organization activists were also present in "solidarity."

Unidentified protesters took the opportunity to launch hostile remarks against the President Martelly, Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Jean Renel Sanon.

Lawyers, some brandishing law books, marched silently holding banners where you could read "No to thearbitrary and illegal arrest of a lawyer", " Yes to the rights and freedoms of the lawyer"... It is only before the Ministry of Justice, the lawyers took up the slogans chanted by Aviol Fleurant : "Long live democracy", "Down with the arbitrary", "Long live freedom", "Long live justice", "Francisco must go"...

"We do not accept the affront that M. Francisco René made ​​the legal profession [..] We do not accept that one of our members is the victim of unlawful arrest and arbitrary. [...] The affront that Francisco René made to all lawyers of the Republic, will be repaired only with his departure," insisted Me Hercule before the Ministry of Justice, who invited the lawyers on Monday, to the Bar of Port-au-Prince, not to work but to continue mobilizing as long as Me René Francisco will lead the Prosecutor of Port-au-Prince...

According to Me Samuel Madistin this march "[...] is a powerful message that the community of men in dress do not accept authoritarianism, arbitrary and undemocratic practices."

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9807-haiti-justice-series-of-protests-against-the-government-commissioner.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9776-haiti-news-some-news-here-and-there.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9756-haiti-justice-me-andre-michel-is-a-fugitive-according-to-the-ministry-of-justice.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9739-haiti-justice-we-need-this-aggressivity-popular-dixit-me-andre-michel.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9739-haiti-justice-we-need-this-aggressivity-popular-dixit-me-andre-michel.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9722-haiti-justice-excesses-without-precedent-in-haitian-history.html

SL/ HaitiLibre