The trial of Rodrigue Petitot, leader of the RPPRAC, began this Tuesday, January 21 at the criminal court. He appears alongside three other defendants. They are on trial for having entered the residence of the Prefect, in Fort-de-France, in November. The dismissal request was accepted for three of them, but not for the leader.
Since this Tuesday morning (January 21), the leader of the gathering for the protection of Afro-Caribbean peoples and resources (RPPRAC), Rodrigue Petitot has been on the dock at the Fort-de-France criminal court. A trial which promises to be tense, because the leader appears while he is in detention. Which is not the case for the three other defendants: Gwladys Roger, Mario Briand and Florence Saint-Pierre.
The four members of the association are notably judged for “home invasion“during the intrusion into the prefectural residence on November 11.
For this day of trial, the defendants are dressed in red, the colors of the RPPRAC. From the start, at 8:30 a.m., the prosecution and the president of the court wanted to join certain files of the defendants. The defense formally opposes this and sees it as an attack on its rights and those of its clients. The court rules in favor of the defense.
Maître Germany, one of the lawyers of the leader of the RPPRAC, makes a request for “additional information” concerning a procedure carried out by the police on the evening of the attempted intrusion and a video of the prefectural residence. The lawyer wishes these elements to be added to the file.
At 10:30 a.m., the referral request made by the lawyers of Gwladys Roger, Mario Briand and Florence Saint-Pierre was accepted by the court: the case of these three defendants will be examined on March 31. But the referral request for Rodrigue Petitot is rejected.
-However, the three other defendants will be heard by the court on Wednesday morning as witnesses. On this point, the court is following a request from the defense.
Several people summoned to appear were not present at the hearing this Tuesday. Some elected officials made their subsequent availability known to the court.
At 12:30 p.m., the trial is suspended and resumes at 1:30 p.m.
While the trial takes place inside the court, many RPPRAC activists came to support Rodrigue Petitot. The CGTM-SOEM also launched a call for a strike on Monday.
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©Martinique the 1st
France
