Criminal complaint filed against police after photographer lost an eye

Lawyers and members of the “ Panama is worth more without mining ” Movement, the “ Ya es ya ” collective, and the Environmental Advocacy Center (CIAM), filed a criminal complaint with the Attorney General’s Office, against the director of the National Police, John Dornheim and the commissioners of the Crowd Control Unit section of the Metropolitan Police Zone reports TVN.

It follows the “aggression” against the photographer and activist Aubrey Baxter, a member of the “Ya es ya” collective, during the protests against the mining contract on October 19.

According to Joana Ábrego, CIAM legal manager, Baxter continuously and systematically attended demonstrations against metal mining in order to document what happened and report it on social networks.

She added that that day, Baxter was covering the peaceful march in Plaza 5 de Mayo and the crowd control agents carried out “arbitrary detonations” and in the case of the photographer they hit his body, and face until they managed to wound him in his right eye.

The lawyers allege that Baxter had to be helped by other people and the agents ignored the call, so the photographer had to travel on his own to receive medical attention at the Santo Tomás Hospital where after surgery, doctors determined that Baxter lost his eye.

Ábrego said that the Public Ministry reported that it has initiated an ex officio investigation and the analysis of the complaint and the evidentiary elements will be carried out to verify whether said data is added to the ongoing investigation or a separate one is opened.

The National Police, at the time, issued a statement denying that it was related to the event and indicated that the protesters “used homemade weapons, blunt objects, and fireworks against the police officers who remained at the scene.”

Meanwhile, the lawyers asked the Public Ministry to investigate the alleged commission of the crime of aggravated personal injuries by the crowd control agents of the National Police. They also ask the Executive to respect the rights of those who demonstrate in the streets.