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Press release in support of the President of the Bar of Mauritius
STATEMENT OF SUPPORT
To the President of the Mauritius Bar Association, Mr. Yatin VARMA, Barrister at Law, Republic of Mauritius
Toulouse, 4 May 2022
Avocats Sans Frontières France is informed that on 26 April 2022, the President of the Bar Association of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr. Yatin VARMA, was subjected to police violence while attempting to oppose the extradition of his client, a Slovak citizen, for whom he had just obtained an injunction from the Mauritian justice system not to execute the extradition measure concerning him.
Mr Yatin VARMA and his client were leaving the Supreme Court when Mauritian police officers stopped Mr VARMA's client in the car park of the building.
Mr. VARMA immediately presented to the police officers the judicial decision he had just obtained in favour of his Slovak client, ordering them not to execute the extradition measure and urging the police to release his client.
In defiance of the decision of the Supreme Court of Mauritius presented by Mr. VARMA, the police officers not only forced Mr. VARMA's Slovak client into the police vehicle, but also verbally and physically assaulted Mr. VARMA by violently throwing him to the ground.
ASFF is extremely concerned by these acts committed in violation of a decision of the Supreme Court of Mauritius, ignored and openly flouted, and aimed at intimidating a lawyer and seriously hindering the exercise of his function. This constitutes an extremely serious act of interference by the executive power against a decision of the Supreme Court and, at the same time, a serious attack on the independence of the Bar in Mauritius.
These actions constitute a serious violation of national and international human rights instruments in general, and of the principles relating to the exercise and role of the legal profession in particular.
ASFF joins the Bar Council of Mauritius and all lawyers of the Bar of Mauritius in
To ask Mr. Maneesh GOBIN, (Attorney General) to instruct the Director of Public Prosecutions or any other competent body to investigate the complaint of Mr. Yatin VARMA with the utmost diligence;
To ensure that no further harm is done to the legal profession and to the person of Mr Yatin VARMA by the authorities or any other person, in particular through abusive criminal complaints, acts of intimidation and threats against his functions as President of the Bar and as a lawyer and any other function he holds in these capacities;
To respect the independence of lawyers and to allow them to exercise their profession in all serenity;
In general, to respect the rights of the defence and the decisions of the courts.
ASFF will remain particularly attentive to the peaceful protest march planned in the coming days by all of our Mauritian colleagues and to the judicial follow-up that will be given to the complaint of Mr. Yatin VARMA and to the complaints lodged by the representatives of the Bar Association of Mauritius.
ASFF brings this disturbing and unacceptable incident to the attention of
The NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE FRENCH BAR ASSOCIATION - NCB
The INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF BARS - ICB
And solicits the support of the international community in favour of Mr. Yatin VARMA, who is concerned about the respect of human rights and the exercise of the legal profession.
Press contacts :
Me Isabelle SCHOENACKER ROSSI
isrossi@action-avocats.fr
+33 (0)9.85.60.04.95
Avocats Sans Frontières France
secretariat@avocatssansfrontieres-france.org
+33 (0)5.34.31.17.83
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