Need for legal aid continued...
Thank-you for your responses to my inquirey.
My brother in law was accused of theft, but the man who made the accusation changed his story from when he initially spoke to the police and then when discussing it later. Also, my brother in law had an alibi on the night in question, as he was working and then went straight home. Apparently the person who made the accusation is quite wealthy (my family is not) and harbours personal malice against my brother in law.
I was informed after I wrote this post that I was in error about the lawyer's reason for abandoning the case (after taking all the money my family had put together to pay him) He said he could no longer continue with the case because he had received threats towards his safety and the safety of his family. There is some question as to whether or not this is true, another theory is that he was bought off by the man who made the accusation.
I read the U.S. Department of State report on the Dominican Republic and I realize that this sort of thing (being held without conviction) is very common, however I, in all my Canadian optimism, believe that since it is in violation of Dominican policy there must be a way to try and remedy it. And thus my post.
Oche mentioned a public defender appointed by the courts, does anyone know any contact numbers to try and set this up? Or an NGO that that could point me in the right direction? I am also fearful that if we push too hard in the wrong way we could made things worse for my brother in law in the prison.
Thank-you once again for any advice or numbers you could provide.