Status Report on Grenadian Judicial Proceedings and Regional Political Activity (July 1983)
BRIDGETOWN 04213 (221336Z JUL 83)
Appearance in court, other breaches included the failure of the magistrate to take notes at the preliminary hearings and to show that all of the accused were represented by defense lawyers. The judge also ruled, however, that his discharge of the case did not preclude the prosecution from instituting fresh proceedings for another preliminary inquiry. Following are names of the accused in the murder case: Jimmy Julien, Isaac James, Denzil Richardson, Richard, Matthew, Catherine, and Annas Pascall. Hughes has no further information on the backgrounds of these individuals. The eighth person accused, former police corporal Wilton De Raviniere, was charged with possession of explosives in November 1979.
5. (C). (Embassy Comment: In the opinion of prominent independent Grenadian journalist Alister Hughes, the government’s case against the eight accused is questionable at best. According to Hughes, a man was shot under mysterious circumstances in a PRG militia camp in 1980. Shortly thereafter, Hughes said, a minibus riddled with bullets and four dead passengers was found in the vicinity of the camp. Speculation is, according to Hughes, that members of the militia had intercepted the minibus and accidentally shot one of the passengers. Having done so, they decided to remove any witnesses by killing the other three. Hughes believes the persons now charged with the murders are innocent scapegoats rounded up in order to save the militia from embarrassment. End Comment.)
6. (U). Catholic Center in Grenada Sponsors Socialist Conference. A regional youth conference sponsored recently by the Pope John Paul Ecumenical Centre in Grenada has called on Caribbean governments to support Grenada’s “right to build their own political process.” The conference, which was attended by youth from church organizations, leftist political parties, trade unions, and peace councils from Cuba, Dominica, El Salvador, Grenada, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent, also expressed support for the government of Nicaragua and the groups wanting “to overthrow the U.S.-backed military administration” in El Salvador. Statement also urged the U.S. to remove its military base from Cuba, and what was called U.S. build-up of conventional and nuclear weapons in Puerto Rico.
7. (C). (Comment for Rome – Office of the Vatican: We wonder to what extent Vatican authorities follow the political activities of church organizations in the Eastern Caribbean which have tended to adopt tendentious anti-U.S. and radical leftist positions on many issues. To what extent is Embassy Rome – Office of the Vatican interested in being kept informed by this embassy? We note that Grenada Governor General Paul Scoon is to have an audience with the Pope sometime before August 13. End Comment.)
8. (U). Amnesty Official Comments on Grenada. During recent visit to Barbados, Jack Rendler, described in local press as Amnesty International’s Assistant Director for the Western Region, said the Caribbean generally does not present the kind of human rights problem or abuses that concern Amnesty in other parts of the world. Rendler noted, however, that the arbitrary detention and forcible repatriation of Haitian refugees by the Dominican Republic, and the arbitrary arrest of political opponents in Guyana, Suriname, and Grenada, are of concern to Amnesty. Rendler called on Barbados to play a more active role in speaking out on human rights violations in the region and beyond.
(Embassy Comment: By the time report of Rendler’s visit appeared in local press, he had already left island. We are still awaiting definitive word on the long promised visit to Grenada of Amnesty and other human rights organizations. End Comment.)
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META DATA
[Confidential Department of State Incoming Telegram Page 01 | Bridge 04213 | 02 of 02 | 221539Z
Action: Ara-00
Info: Oct-00, Copy-01, Ads-00, Aid-00, Inr-10, Eur-00, Ss-00, Ciae-00, Dode-00, H-01, Io-15, Nsc-01, Nsae-00, Sy-06, Ha-08, L-03, Pm-08, Pa-01, Mct-01, Omb-01, Usie-00, Sp-02, Snp-01, Prs-01 / 106 W
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R 221336Z Jul 83
From: Amembassy Bridgetown
To: Secstate Washdc 5890
Info: Amembassy Antigua Amembassy Kingston Amembassy Port of Spain Amembassy London Amembassy Ottawa Amembassy Georgetown membassy Paramaribo Usint Havana Usmission Geneva Amembassy Moscow Amembassy Rome Uslo Caribbean Cinclant Norfolk VA Comusfor Carib Key West