A Dominican Republic judge on Tuesday evening ruled in favor of witness Joshua Riibe’s writ of habeas corpus in the March 6 disappearance of University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki from a Punta Cana resort.
Riibe appeared in court in the Dominican Republic, where he has been held in the disappearance of Konanki, 20, who has been missing since the early morning hours of March 6. Riibe has not been named a suspect in the case, which has been considered a missing person case and not a criminal one.
The 22-year-old appeared with his father as prosecutors argued that the witness’ freedom has not been limited while he has been held in the Dominican after his passport was confiscated, and he has the right to walk around the RIU Republica resort without issue.
It was not immediately clear when Riibe would be able to leave the country. Riibe will have another hearing on March 28, when he is expected to receive an explanation about the location of his passport. He can move freely within the Dominican Republic until then.
Riibe’s lawyers had said his passport was confiscated, but prosecutors argued that he lost his passport. Meanwhile, Dominican authorities returned Riibe’s friend’s passport on Tuesday afternoon.
Lawyers and prosecutors screamed at each other during a very heated hearing on Tuesday after Riibe’s counsel submitted photos of him surrounded by police and patrol cars.