On 18–19 July 2026, local media reported renewed concerns from human rights defenders about the use of Preventive Detention Orders (PDOs) during Trinidad and Tobago’s continuing State of Emergency. Former Trinidad and Tobago Human Rights Commission head Denise Pitcher, veteran human rights defender Diana Mahabir-Wyatt, and constitutional lawyer Subhas Panday raised concerns about prolonged detention without charge, inadequate medical care, detention conditions, limited access to legal representation, weak independent oversight, and the effectiveness of the State of Emergency Review Tribunal. Approximately 434 PDO notices have reportedly been issued, but no complete public record has been made available showing how many detainees have been charged, released, convicted, or remain in detention. These concerns follow a statement by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights calling for stronger judicial oversight, transparency, accountability, due process protections, and safeguards against arbitrary detention.
The event negatively affects the enabling environment for civil society organisations, particularly State openness and responsiveness and the protection of fundamental freedoms. Although human rights defenders and CSOs remain able to speak publicly, the absence of a substantive State response and accessible detention data limits their ability to monitor emergency powers, assess their proportionality, advocate for affected persons, and hold public authorities accountable. Continued non-responsiveness may weaken meaningful civil society participation in national security decision-making and reduce confidence that human rights advocacy will influence government policy or corrective action.