The authorities carried out an estimated 85,000 detentions between 20 March and 30 June, for alleged non-compliance with the evening curfew. Abortion remained criminalized in all circumstances. The authorities failed to pass the comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation demanded by civil...

With the beginning of the new parliamentary term, a preliminary draft of the Criminal Code is being debated by the Dominican Republic’s Congress with the objective of approving a reformed version by the end of this legislative year. Legislators are currently pushing forward with a reformed criminal...

From 24 March members of the Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Republic’s Congress will begin to discuss a reform of the country’s criminal code, including the possibility of decriminalizing abortion in three circumstances. Hundreds of human rights activists are currently camped outside the...

On 11 July, the Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Congress voted to reject proposed reforms to the Criminal Code that failed to decriminalize abortion in limited circumstances and continued to violate the rights of women and girls. As a result, the proposed reforms cannot be made into law during...

In May 2017, the Dominican Senate voted to reject the President’s recommendations to decriminalize abortion. The President’s recommendations are now being discussed by the Justice Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, which is expected to vote on the recommendations soon. If the Chamber also...

In December 2016, the Dominican President rejected a regressive reform of the Criminal Code regarding abortion that had previously been adopted by the Senate. The President has returned the text to the Congress urging legislators to decriminalize abortion in the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Congress adopted a comprehensive reform of the Criminal Code which maintains the criminalization of abortion except where the pregnancy poses a risk to the life of a pregnant woman or girl. It is now with the President of the Republic to enact into law. If enacted, it would violate...

Around 8.30pm on 25 September, Dominican human rights defender Genaro Rincon was verbally and physically assaulted in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Various other defenders working against statelessness in the country have recently reported receiving threats, intimidations...

The Dominican Republic Senate was due to vote on 25 July on a reform to the Criminal Code which maintains the criminalization of abortion except where the pregnancy poses a risk to the life of a pregnant woman or girl. Senators decided to send the text to the Human Rights Commission for further...

The Dominican Republic Congress voted on a new reform of the Criminal Code on 19 July. This new code regresses the rights of women and girls as it now only allows abortion where the pregnancy poses a risk to the life of a pregnant woman or girl. The text will now be discussed in the […]

The Dominican Republic Congress is set to vote on July on a partial reform of the Penal Code related to abortion. Lawmakers must not allow a regression in women´s rights.

The police violently dispersed a peaceful protest against corruption in the Dominican Republic’s capital, Santo Domingo, on 24 November. Protestors are at risk of further attacks as they plan to continue demonstrating.

A Dominican man arbitrarily deported to Haiti on 19 February was able to return to his hometown in the Dominican Republic.