Attacks on the Press in 2004 - Grenada
| Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
| Publication Date | February 2005 |
| Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Attacks on the Press in 2004 - Grenada, February 2005, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/47c566d9c.html [accessed 20 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
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.
