Santo Domingo.- A contingent of legal professionals affiliated with the Dominican Republic’s Bar Association (CARD), alongside various civil society groups and ordinary citizens, marched from Parque Independencia to the National Palace to express their opposition to Law 01-24, which establishes the National Research Directorate (DNI).
Miguel Surun Hernández, the outgoing president of CARD, highlighted that this legislation permits the extrajudicial interception of telephone and electronic communications, imposing sanctions on those who refuse to provide required information to the DNI.
Surun Hernández raised concerns about Article 26, identifying it as the most perilous aspect of the law, as it stipulates that individuals, including journalists, lawyers, doctors, banks, telephone companies, and any public or private entity failing to furnish information will face imprisonment ranging from 2 to 3 years.
He emphasized that the legislation, particularly Article 9, paragraph 6, legitimizes old practices of telephone interception and electronic espionage targeting opponents and communicators. This article grants the DNI the authority to eavesdrop on and monitor electronic communications of individuals deemed of interest by the director.
As the spokesperson for the group of lawyers, Surun Hernández expressed the hope that President Luis Abinader fulfills his duty to convene an extraordinary legislative session, urging the National Congress to restore democratic peace to the Dominican people.