Guinea Bissau: President shuts down Bar Association HQ, lawyers file injunction

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Guinea Bissau: President shuts down Bar Association HQ, lawyers file injunction

2:55 CAT | 09 Feb 2021

Photo: RTP

Basilio Sanca, head of the Guinea-Bissau Bar Association, said on Monday that members were denied access to the headquarters one day after the Presidency’s ultimatum to leave the building, and may lodge a criminal complaint against the President.

Last week, the Presidency of Guinea Bissau urged the Bar Association to leave its headquarters, only a few metres from the Republic Palace, by Sunday, alleging security issues at the work place of the Guinean Head of State.

On Saturday the Bar Association decided at an extraordinary general meeting that it would not accept the ultimatum, arguing that the property belongs to the organisation and was given to it by the Guinean State.

The Bar only admits to leaving the place by order of the Government to expropriate the property.

According to Basílio Sanca, the headquarters are barred to lawyers and the access gates have locks.

Today, he led an entourage of dozens of lawyers who went to lodge an injunction with the court to request the suspension of the presidential decision but Basílio Sanca may lodge a criminal complaint against the Guinean President, Umaro Sissoco Embaló.

“We are here demanding that the President respect the rule of law as he has sworn to defend the Constitution of the Republic and the other laws of the Republic,” noted Basilio Sanca.

The leader of the Guinean lawyers said that the Bar is considering “going further” with the matter, without, however, specifying what measures it will take.

Basilio Sanca hopes that “the President will reconsider his position” and announced that in the near future the Bar Association will operate in its office in Bissau.