The Penal Code will punish with imprisonment agents who prevent recordings during arrests

Santo Domingo.- The reform project to the Dominican Penal Code, currently in its final stage in the Chamber of Deputies, contemplates specific sanctions for members of the National Police and other officials who engage in abuse of power during detentions, searches, and other procedures. One of the most outstanding points is article 286, which penalizes with between fifteen days and one year in prison, in addition to a fine equivalent to double the agent's salary, those police officers who prevent citizens from recording actions such as arrests, raids or searches.

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This project, already approved in the Senate and pending a second reading in the lower house, also incorporates guarantees for persons deprived of liberty. Article 285 establishes penalties for agents who deny a detainee their right to make a call to inform their lawyer or family members, except in exceptional cases due to force majeure. In that same vein, Article 287 punishes those who order or execute arbitrary detentions, while Article 288 sanctions officials who, having authority and knowledge of an illegal deprivation of liberty, refrain from intervening. In addition, Article 289 provides for up to three years in prison for prison officials who detain a person without a court order or illegally extend their stay in prison.

Although the initial project included Article 293, which sanctioned unjustified vehicle inspections by police and military personnel, this was removed at the request of the Attorney General's Office before its approval in the first reading in the Senate.

The legislative piece seeks to strengthen citizen guarantees and more firmly sanction abuses of authority.