Hadeeds to be released from Prison – Placed Under House Arrest

BY FRANCIS JOSEPH

Dominic Hadeed and his wife, Genevieve, are to be released from the Golden Grove State Prison, Arouca, on Thursday and placed under house arrest at their premises at 23 Pine Avenue, Bayshore, Westmoorings.

This was the ruling of the Court of Appeal on Thursday in response to submissions from their attorneys on Tuesday.

The Court of Appeal comprised Justices Peter Rajkumar, Mira Dean-Armorer, and Joan Charles. They ruled that the orders of Justice Frank Seepersad on June 30 refusing interim relief and awarding costs have been set aside.

The Court ruled the following:

* The appellants are entitled to the grant of interim relief by their conditional release and confinement to their home.

* They are to be immediately released from their current places of detention but confined to their home subject to the following conditions:

a] The appellants are to surrender their passports and other travel documents 

b] The appellants are to surrender all firearms in their possession 

c] The appellants are to Surrender All communication devices 

d] The appellants are not to communicate with persons outside the location/address above whether directly or indirectly without prior approval by the Commissioner of Police. 

e] The appellants are to remain at their home at the above address and are not to attempt to leave without the permission of the Commissioner of Police. 

f] The appellants are not permitted to have visitors to that address without prior approval of the Commissioner of Police. 

g] Only listed and approved medical and legal practitioners and/or care givers are permitted entry to that address. 

h] The appellants are to allow entry onto the premises by an authorised and designated member of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service at reasonable times to attend and conduct inspections to confirm compliance with these terms. 

i] Should any of the appellants breach of any of the conditions above he/she will be liable to detention under the respective PDOs. 

j] The respondents are at liberty, upon delivery of this judgment to indicate what if any further conditions upon release are suggested provided however that the court’s order for release is complied with. 

The Hadeeds have indicated that they are prepared to be fitted with electronic monitoring devices to record movements. Should the State require that they be fitted with electronic monitoring devices, arrangements must be made for that to occur as soon as possible, provided that the conditional release of the appellants is not dependent thereon, the court ruled.

THE FACTS

The Hadeeds have been detained since June 24, 2026, and under Preventive Detention Orders (PDOs) since June 27, 2026. On the 24th of June 2026 at 6 am they were detained and their electronic devices seized. On the evening of 25th June 2026, they were informed that the period of their detention without charge was being extended for a period of seven days under regulation 13(3) of the emergency powers regulations.

On the 27th of June 2026 the PDOs were signed well within the period that had been permitted for their further detention under regulation 13(3). The PDOs provided for the indefinite detention of the Hadeeds.

Thei detention at this point is pursuant to Preventive Detention Orders (PDOs) issued pursuant to regulation 14 of the Emergency Powers Regulations, 2026, their previous detention under that regulation 13 having been superceded by detention under those PDOs. 

At this point the PDOS constitute the sole basis for their detention. They have not been charged to date. At the time of filing of the application for expedited hearing the Hadeeds had not been interviewed. An interview was eventually scheduled for the 13th July 2026 for the Hadeed. 

Their detention under the PDO’s is alleged to be under the grounds of national security, a matter which the courts traditionally have been extremely reluctant to second guess or interrogate. 

The State of Emergency under which they have been detained is set to come to an end on September 15th 2026. At that point if the Hadeeds have not been charged they would be released as the PDO does not continue beyond the expiration of the State of Emergency.