This Monday, December 2, Rodrigue Petitot, the president of the RPPRAC, is tried in immediate appearance by the Fort-de-France judicial court for acts of “threats against people holding a mandate”, namely, elected officials. The defendant's three lawyers, who denounce the relentlessness, requested his release.
The trial of Rodrigue Petitot opened this Monday (December 2). The president of the Rally for the Protection of Afro-Caribbean Peoples and Resources was tried in immediate appearance for acts of “threats against people holding a mandate”.
As a reminder, on social networks, the leading figure of the movement against the high cost of living had made remarks described as “threatening” towards elected officials, particularly mayors.
Pending judgment, he was placed in pre-trial detention at the Ducos penitentiary center on Friday evening (November 29).
Rodrigue Petitot, the defendant, spoke on the stand. He considers “that we use [son] passed for [l’] push in”.
I am being detained because there is a real desire to put me in prison. (…) I have the impression that people are coming after me. (…) But it will have the opposite effect, it will give me more pep.
Rodrigue Petitot, leader of your RPPRACcomments collected by Kelly Babo
The lawyers of the leader of the RPPRAC have filed a request for freedom. They raised a number of irregularities in the public prosecutor's procedure. They believe that certain provisions of the law have not been respected and that “tramples“the rights of their client.
There are a number of violations of the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure in this case. This is what we tried to explain to the court. We consider that the jurisdiction is not properly assembled, that is to say that the Prosecutor has not given us a certain number of documents which could justify the holding of this hearing which is exceptional since it was planned exclusively for Mr. Petitot. (…)
Me Eddy Arneton, lawyer for Rodrigue Petitotinterviewed by Franck Edmond-Mariette
The lawyer also denounces the conditions of his police custody.
During his custody, we were able to note that his splint was not given to him for 18 hours. These are medical prescriptions that have not been respected. He had light in his eyes throughout his custody. This is a violation of the right to rest. We tried to explain to the court that, on the one hand, it was not validly seized and on the other hand, that the violations which were committed in the context of police custody should lead to nullifications of the whole procedure.
The prosecution denies the failure to take into consideration the defendant's state of health during police custody. According to the public prosecutor, the procedure was respected.
For its part, the Association of Mayors of Martinique assures that it has not filed a complaint against Rodrigue Petitot.
Contrary to the information circulating widely on all networks in Martinique suggesting that the Association of Mayors has filed a complaint against the leader of Rpprac, I would like to confirm that the action of our association was only limited to the content of the press release that we published on this subject.
Press release from the Association of Mayors of Martinique
The trial continues this afternoon.
France
