Paraguay’s Bar Association condemns assault and abduction of lawyer during Asunción assignment

The Paraguayan Bar Association has demanded a thorough investigation after lawyer Ygnacio Sánchez said he was intercepted, beaten and tied up during an extrajudicial collection assignment in Asunción.

Sánchez went to the assignment on August 28 in connection with a contractual dispute, according to his public complaint. Audiovisual recordings of the incident circulated on social media. The association said he suffered physical violence and an alleged deprivation of liberty while carrying out his professional duties.

In a statement addressed to the public, authorities and the legal community, the association said, “When justice does not prevail, violence prevails.” It expressed institutional solidarity with Sánchez and promised professional support, while insisting that lawyers should not face attacks, intimidation, coercion or illegitimate restrictions for doing their jobs.

The organization said the alleged conduct appeared, prima facie, to have criminal relevance and could fall under offenses subject to public prosecution. It left the final legal classification to the competent authorities after an investigation.

The association also described the incident as part of an alarming pattern of growing aggression and threats affecting judges, prosecutors, public defenders and lawyers. It urged the Public Prosecutor’s Office and other authorities to act quickly and diligently to identify and capture those who carried out or organized the attack. It called for effective guarantees to protect all justice-system professionals.

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When justice does not prevail, violence prevails.