Expression
Journalists face judicial harassment and intimidation
Guyana’s press freedom climate has come under renewed scrutiny following a series of troubling developments involving judicial harassment and alleged intimidation of journalists. In October 2024, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) raised serious concerns about the operating environment for journalists, warning of a deteriorating climate marked by political hostility, discriminatory practices, and the weaponisation of legal mechanisms against the press.
On 25th October 2024, the Assistant Commissioner of Police and Head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU)—a division of the Guyana Police Force (GPF)— initiated civil defamation proceedings against investigative journalist Leroy Smith. Filed before the High Court of Georgetown, the suit seeks damages exceeding GYD 600 million (USD 2,865), alleging that Smith disseminated defamatory statements between 11th September and 23rd October 2024 via his platform, Big Smith News Watch, and its affiliated Facebook page.
The publications reportedly allege misconduct, mismanagement of investigations, insufficient qualifications, and improper involvement in a real estate transaction. One article also questioned SOCU’s approach in a case involving Assistant Commissioner Calvin Brutus, suggesting deficiencies in Karimbaksh’s oversight. Commissioner Brutus is facing charges of financial crime.
A day after the suit was filed, journalist Smith lodged a formal complaint with the GPA, citing intimidation by SOCU. The GPA expressed concern over this recent development, including a press release issued in mid-October by SOCU, which reportedly threatened to pursue charges of sedition and obstruction of justice against Smith following the publication of a report on 23rd October 2024. According to the GPA, the statement, signed by the Head of the Corporate Communications Unit, rejected Smith’s reporting and described him as a “hired gun.”
The GPA also condemned SOCU’s invocation of sedition laws, characterising the move as both “appalling” and “egregious,” and criticised the attempt to revive legal provisions widely considered incompatible with international human rights standards.
The case has emerged against a backdrop of escalating tensions between state officials and the press. According to the GPA, government officials and state-owned media have actively sidelined independent outlets, restricting access through the selective granting of interviews and amplification of partisan narratives via social media commentators.
In 2024, civic space in Guyana faced several challenges affecting the exercise of fundamental freedoms. For example, journalists continued to access judicial mechanisms, particularly in relation to proceedings involving allegations of libel and defamation, raising concerns regarding the potential misuse of such actions to curtail freedom of expression. As the country prepares for General and Regional elections scheduled for 2025, political discourse has intensified. Public debate increasingly centres on governance and accountability, including allegations of corruption involving government officials.
On 10th October 2024, during a special parliamentary session on migration in Linden, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Hilton Todd reportedly shouted at journalist Khadidja Ba while she covered the proceedings:
“Why are they on page 2! They don’t do anything! They hadn’t done anything back in December like they had claimed! You are embarrassing me on an international stage! What do you mean “raps” [The article’s headline is “Figueira, Solomon rap Todd for snubbing local leaders during Linden visit on migrants”], how could they rap me! Your article is false! When we went there was nobody to verify the claims! In your article, you couldn’t even name who said anything! Who are these anonymous sources! Why aren’t you naming them?! These Venezuelans are not hungry! They are working! They are working harder than the Lindeners and that’s why they are getting the jobs! This is nonsense! Stabroek News needs to get themselves together! That article with Figueira and Solomon is not balanced at all! I went and spoke to the Venezuelans myself! This is poor journalism! Stabroek News is writing as if the migrants are not humans! They are escaping a serious situation back in Venezuela.”
Earlier that month, on 2nd October, Councillor Abdulla Hamid of the opposition “A Partnership for National Unity” (APNU) political alliance allegedly directed threatening remarks at reporter Ianna Benjamin during a municipal meeting. The incident reportedly traumatised the journalist, according to the National Communications Network.
High Court awards damages to former mayor in defamation case against state media
On 22nd October 2024, the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature of Guyana ordered payment of GYD 700,000 (USD ~3,400) in damages and GYD 200,000 (USD ~964) in costs to Ubraj Narine, former Mayor of Georgetown, in a defamation claim against the state-owned Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL), publisher of the Guyana Chronicle.
The case arose from an article published on 29th August 2023, which attributed derogatory statements made by former Mayor Patricia Chase-Green to Narine. The Court found that the statements had in fact been directed at a different individual, Walter Narine, Director of Solid Waste. Despite this, the Guyana Chronicle article identified Ubraj Narine as the subject of the remarks.
The decision determined that the published statements were defamatory and rejected GNNL’s defence of privilege under Section 14 of the Defamation Act. It affirmed that the statutory defence requires reporting to be both “fair and accurate”. The Court found that the article failed to meet this standard. It lacked factual accuracy, omitted the claimant’s version of events, and presented allegations as fact without adequate verification.
The Court emphasised that GNNL had made no meaningful attempt to contact the claimant prior to publication and failed to indicate any such attempt in the article. As a result, the report did not satisfy the legal threshold for fair or reasonable journalism.
Peaceful Assembly
Peaceful protests in Guyana
On 23rd October 2024, dozens of sugar workers attached to Blairmont Estate in Region Six picketed outside the estate compound over the firing of a cane harvester. The harvester was allegedly fired following a work-related issue with another staff member. The workers who disagreed with the action picketed for one day.
On the same day, opposition political parties and supporters protested outside the Guyana Elections Commission. These parties, led by APNU and the Alliance for Change, have been calling for a “clean voters list” and the implementation of biometrics before the General and Regional Elections.