The Interim Executive of the National Joint Action Movement (NJAM), strenuously condemns the detention of Messrs. Jawanza Stuart and Lynworth “Mystelics” Mitchel for alleged espionage and calls for their immediate unconditional release unless they are justly charged with criminal behaviour. It has been reported that the two men were flying a drone at Morne Daniel, Canefield, Commonwealth of Dominica at the time of their arrest on the evening of Wednesday, March 3, 2021.
It would be expected that, if a crime was committed in their action, that the men ought to have been charged with an offence by now, 24 hours having elapsed since the alleged incident.
Reliable reports reveal that the downed drone being flown by the two men was picked up by a Chinese national, whose heavily walled and guarded Chinese Embassy is situated approximately three blocks south of where he may have been working. He is thought to have been part of a crew constructing a perimeter fence around the property rented by the Government of Dominica, at the abhorrent cost of sixty-four thousand dollars (EC$64,000.00) monthly, so as to house the Prime Minister and his family.
NJAM is alarmed at the conduct of certain police officers and their blatant abuse of their positions in attempts at arresting one of the peaceful protesters, a leader of the group Moun Seweye, known popularly as Buju. Having ignored a previous attempt by the driver of an oncoming police vehicle to simulate running him over, Buju was assaulted by an occupant of an outgoing police vehicle as the driver again deliberately sought to intimidate him with his driving maneuvers. It became blatantly obvious that this was part of a planned attempt to intimidate and arrest him, as once he reacted, a significant number of officers armed with clubs and firearms, swooped in on him. A violent scuffle ensued but as he slipped from their grasp, his mother was taken and dragged into custody along with another group member known as Pyro. He was allegedly beaten, his lawyer having to instruct the police to seek medical attention for him.
The constant selective and discriminative arrests of Dominican nationals supposedly opposed to the ruling Dominica Labour Party Administration have become too frequent on the National landscape in contrast to the total lack of interest, and inaction on the part of the Dominica Police Force with reference to reports made by Executive Members and/or supporters of Opposition Parties. Case in point: a report filed by the Honourable Lennox Linton, Dominica’s Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition and Leader of the Dominica United Workers Party, in which he accused criminals of illegally and criminally visiting his residence and planting evidence with the intention to implicate him in unsavory behaviour.
Again, on Saturday, August 15, 2020, the Honourable Daniel “Danny” Lugay was kidnapped from a vehicle in which he was traveling on a public road that runs alongside the afore-mentioned, Prime Minister’s residence.
NJAM is also deeply concerned about the alleged death of a young Kingshill man on Carnival Tuesday, 16th February 2021, while in police custody, having been arrested the night before for questioning. Further, NJAM is appalled at the lack of action on the part of the Police in response to the blatant violation of the Carnival Order (SR&O #1 of 2021) by the management and staff of the State-owned Dominica Broadcasting Service (DBS) Radio. The Minister responsible for National Security and all policing matters, remains silent!
These criminal actions and or inactions by members of Dominica’s Police Force, unfortunately, diminish any legitimacy in the performance of their duty to protect and serve the populace without fair or favour. The arrests of these men and their continued detention begs the question: who does our Police Force protect and serve?
NJAM calls on all Civil Society Organizations to wholly condemn this creeping and continued discriminatory application of authority by the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force. NJAM further calls on the Administration of the Police Force to improve its image as a non-discriminatory Institution established to protect and serve nationals.
NJAM is also appealing to the regional and international community, human rights organizations, and all who embrace respect for human rights to assist the Dominican people against the political abuse, victimization, and discrimination of a rising dictatorship in the Commonwealth of Dominica.
This article is copyright © 2021 DOM767
