2004 Documented Cases – Grenada

MAY 10, 2004
Posted: June 11, 2004

OffshoreAlert
David Marchant, OffshoreAlert
LEGAL ACTION

On March 30, the Miami-based Internet newsletter OffshoreAlert published a report alleging that Prime Minister Keith Mitchell had accepted $500,000 for appointing a U.S. national to a diplomatic position. Mitchell denied the report, saying he had done nothing improper.

Today, the opposition National Democratic Congress held a press conference denouncing the alleged corruption of the government, as reported in OffshoreAlert. The Grenadian's Government Information Service then issued a warning that media outlets that broadcast or published the content of the press conference could face legal action. Within a few days, the government had filed a criminal libel lawsuit in Grenada brought by the prime minister against OffshoreAlert and its publisher, Marchant, a British national.

MAY 27, 2004
Posted: June 11, 2004

Leroy Noel, freelance
HARASSED, THREATENED

Noel, a Grenadian freelance reporter, was held for questioning about the content of an article published on May 21 in the Grenadian weekly Spice Isle Review. The article, "NNP days are numbered," reported on connections between members of the ruling New National Party and people accused of corruption. The journalist, who regularly contributes to the Cayman Islands-based Caribbean Net News, told CPJ that four police officers detained him while he was on his way to work at around 6:15 a.m. Authorities released Noel four hours later without charge.

On June 2, Noel said he received an anonymous death threat on his mobile phone. Noel told CPJ that an unidentified male ordered him to stop writing about Prime Minister Keith Mitchell or he would be killed. After Noel received the threat, his attorney, Anselm Clouden, requested that Grenada's police commissioner begin an investigation on the matter and provide security for Noel.

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