[UPDATED] ‘Chris Must List’: Government trampling on my liberty

CHRISTOPHER “Chris Must List” Hughes and his attorneys have claimed that the government, through a swathe of accusations and charges, is tarnishing his name and infringing on his freedoms.

Hughes and his attorneys took this position while speaking to Newsday on September 10, hours after completing his order of supervision, a requirement of his release from the Immigration Detention Centre, which restricts him from leaving the country without permission from the Immigration Division.

“It is a flagrant breach of one’s freedoms and liberties. Nowhere else in the world would this happen. In no other democracy can this happen,” said attorney Vashisht Seepersad at his office at Fortis Chambers, Cornelio Street, Woodbrook.

Hughes, 46, returned to Trinidad on August 18 as part of his reporting requirements as he faced a sedition charge. Since then, he was detained by police twice, once on September 5, where he was questioned over a video he had published earlier.

Attorneys said he was arrested for being in possession of evidence of money laundering and again on September 7 at a house in Diego Martin where he had been ordered to stay as part of his bail conditions. He was detained at the Immigration Detention Centre in Aripo until Justice Kevin Ramcharan granted an emergency injunction allowing him to meet his attorneys on September 8.

In a late afternoon hearing on September 9, Justice Robin Mohammed was told that National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds agreed not to deport Hughes and to have him released as soon as possible.

Seepersad explained that the supervision order meant Hughes could not leave Trinidad and Tobago without the permission of the Chief Immigration Officer. The order also dictates that he would have to report to the Immigration Division in ten days. During that time, he would not be able to leave. Seepersad said he and other attorneys are writing a letter to challenge the ten-day order. He said Hughes is expected to get his passport by September 13 and he would need permission to leave.

“That is in four days,” Seepersad said.

He said Hughes wanted to leave the country, but because of the charges, allegations and court processes detentions, he was not able to. The sedition hearing is being heard virtually, meaning that all parties involved will convene using the court’s virtual resources. However, Hughes was required by a court order to come to TT to face the magistrate.

“They charged him and they brought a case against him. Even when he said he would leave and return when called upon, they said no, he is a flight risk and took away his passport.

“We requested a variation on the bail condition on that condition, he would have to return before the date of the hearing on the August 22 and submit his passport again. More or less, every time he leaves and comes back, he has to get permission from the high court and surrender his passport.”

Seepersad said that even after the hearing on August 23, he had to make another application to get his passport to leave. That hearing was carded for September 6, but the high court judge fell ill. It was during that time he was arrested under the allegations of money laundering and a deportation order was issued.

“But in any case, he wanted to leave,” Seepersad said.

Hughes: They are trying to tarnish my name

A “mentally exhausted” Hughes said despite the legal challenges he faced in Trinidad and Tobago, he still loves the country but fears for his safety and freedom while he faces the sedition charges.

“I am around a team of very smart people. We knew this was going to happen. Before the sedition charge, I was held on a set of gang-related charges. There was no evidence of that. Then, they threw the sedition charge.

“There is no evidence of that. Then they threw the money laundering charge, and there was no evidence of that. So now they are going through the deportation order. What’s next? “I have been to wars around the world. I have been to places like Haiti, which is more dangerous than here. But here I am waking up with cold sweats every night. It is like post-traumatic stress disorder, where I can hear police breaking into my house. It is a fear that I have never felt before. I really fear for my safety.”

He believes police and other forces are trying to sway the public interest by tarnishing his name.

“After my first release of sedition, the public was behind me 100 per cent. Now, with this allegation of money laundering, 25 out of that 100 per cent will now say: ‘Maybe he is here doing something; why is he here?’ Now I am arrested and thrown into migrant jail. Now, more people are dropping off. This is all to make me look bad.”

Hughes said the legal troubles he is facing in TT may not only affect his freedom here, but with the allegations levied against him, it could affect him abroad as well. Hughes is not only being put under mental strain but financial strain as well, he claims. He complained that when police arrested him on May 28, all his camera equipment and electronic devices, costing CAN$10,000, were seized. He bought new equipment, but when he was detained on the money laundering charge, it was seized again.

“They said we don’t have enough evidence to charge me but they still kept my equipment. I spoke to them an hour ago. There is no hope of me getting it back. If they dropped the charge, then why can’t I have my equipment back?”

He also said although the case is being heard virtually, he was required by a court order to come to TT to take part in the hearing physically. He said a ticket from Toronto to TT is CAN$1,000.

Hughes said he is in the process of taking legal action against the state for what he believes is an attempt, either by design or construct, to muzzle him and stop him from producing content in TT. He said although he was not deported or charged with money laundering, the allegations could affect his livelihood and ability to work.

“Whether I am guilty or not, those charges and allegations are going to follow me for the rest of my life. So I am scared. I’m not scared of people; I am scared of the power of this government can do.”

This story was originally published with the title "Chris Hughes: Government trampling on my liberty" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

CHRISTOPHER “Chris Must List” Hughes and his attorneys have claimed the government, through a swathe of accusations and charges, is tarnishing his name and infringing on his freedoms.

Hughes and his attorneys took this position while speaking to Newsday on September 10, hours after he completed his order of supervision, a requirement of his release from the Immigration Detention Centre, which restricts him from leaving the country without permission from the Immigration Division.

“It is a flagrant breach of one’s freedoms and liberties. Nowhere else in the world would this happen. In no other democracy can this happen,” said attorney Vashisht Seepersad, at his office at Fortis Chambers, Cornelio Street, Woodbrook.

Hughes, 46, returned to Trinidad on August 18, as part of his reporting requirements as he faced a sedition charge. Since then, he has been detained by police twice, once on September 5, when he was questioned over a video he had published earlier.
Attorneys said he was arrested for being in possession of evidence of money laundering, and again on September 7 at a house in Diego Martin, where he had been ordered to stay as part of his bail conditions.

He was detained at the Immigration Detention Centre in Aripo until Justice Kevin Ramcharan granted an emergency injunction allowing him to meet his attorneys on September 8.

In a late-afternoon hearing, on September 9, Justice Robin Mohammed was told National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds had agreed not to deport Hughes and to have him released as soon as possible.

A “mentally exhausted” Hughes said despite the legal challenges he faced in Trinidad and Tobago, he still loves the country, but fears for his safety and freedom while he faces the sedition charges.

“I am around a team of very smart people.
"We knew this was going to happen. Before the sedition charge I was held on a set of gang-related charges. There was no evidence of that.

"Then they threw the sedition charge. There is no evidence of that.

"Then they threw the money-laundering charge, and there was no evidence of that.

"So now they are going through the deportation order. What’s next?

“I have been to wars around the world. I have been to places like Haiti, which is more dangerous than here.
"But here, I am waking up with cold sweats every night. It is like post-traumatic stress disorder, where I can hear police breaking into my house. It is a fear that I have never felt before. I really fear for my safety.”