High Court Refuses Mohamed Interim Bail

By Mark DaCosta- Oposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed will stay in prison after the High Court on Friday, 13 November, refused him interim bail. The court also moved his challenge to the remand decision onto a fast track, with a full hearing set for Tuesday, 17 November.

Justice Priscilla Chandra-Haniff reasoned that releasing Mohamed now would effectively give him the very outcome he wants decided after full argument. She chose to compress the timetable instead. The state must file its defence by 10:00 on Monday, 16 November, and the applicants must answer by 18:00 that evening. Each side will then have 45 minutes of oral argument, and lawyers may not recycle written points or raise fresh grounds. She also rejected the state’s attempt to have the case thrown out.

Full coverageGuyana Human Rights Association Accuses US, Government Over Mohamed Extradition Case50 reports

Follow

The case was brought by his mother, Bonita Mohamed, who is contesting the 30 October ruling of Magistrate Abigail Gibbs. The magistrate refused bail and remanded Mohamed and Police Constable Ryan Greene over the alleged illegal distribution of government surveillance footage. She said she feared both men might commit another offence if released. Both men pleaded not guilty. The charge falls under the Cybercrime Act, and the opposition APNU coalition has noted that it involves no violence. The judge described complaints about prison conditions as serious but disputed. She noted they arose after the magistrate’s decision, so they could not alone show that decision was unlawful.