Portugal’s Public Prosecution Service has sent the case involving seven housing-rights protesters detained in Porto to ordinary proceedings, rather than pursuing a summary trial. The decision was explained on Monday by lawyer Ricardo Salazar, who represents the demonstrators.
According to Salazar, the prosecutor concluded that there was not enough time to gather the necessary evidence for a summary proceeding. The lawyer said this means there will be no immediate trial and that the case could potentially be dismissed after further investigative steps.
The protesters appeared at Porto’s Criminal Court of First Instance at around 10:00 on Monday. Salazar said the detainees had been accused of disobedience, but argued that the additional evidence being sought did not appear to relate to that alleged offence. He did not specify why the court had requested further evidence.
The lawyer called for a fair and transparent process and said he hoped prosecutors would not impose judicial secrecy, arguing that this would restrict public scrutiny of the case.
Thirteen people were detained on Sunday after police operations in Lisbon and Porto to break up camps set up by people protesting for the right to housing. Seven were detained in Porto and six in Lisbon. The operations took place simultaneously at D. João I Square in Porto and Rossio Square in Lisbon, where police removed tents and cleared the public spaces.
The detainees were summoned to appear in court on Monday. The six people detained in Lisbon were due to attend a hearing at the Justice Campus at 14:00.
The police interventions led to clashes and injuries. The PSP said 13 officers were injured, while several protesters were also hurt. Portugal’s National Institute of Medical Emergency said 25 people received medical assistance following the operations in both cities.
In Lisbon, police used batons and fired fireworks during the intervention, clearing D. Pedro V Square within minutes. In Porto, officers dismantled the camp at D. João I Square and moved protesters towards Dr. Magalhães Lemos Street, using batons and police dogs.
Earlier on Monday, Salazar said he believed the Porto case could be dismissed, citing a ruling by Lisbon’s Administrative Court. That ruling found that a midnight-thirty limit on demonstrations was not absolute or automatic and allowed a protester to remain overnight in Rossio with a tent.
Meanwhile, lawyer Ricardo Sá Fernandes, one of the defence representatives for the Lisbon protesters, said he would file a criminal complaint against Interior Minister Luís Neves and PSP national director Pedro Moura, challenging the legality of the police operation and the use of force.
Sources: Observador.