Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 09/Sep 14:28

[UPDATED] National Security Minister agrees not to deport ‘Chris Must List,’ release him

NATIONAL Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds has agreed not to deport Canadian YouTuber Christopher “Chris Must List” Hughes and to release him as soon as possible. Justice Robin Mohammed was told of this agreed position at a late-afternoon hearing on September 9. Senior Counsel Gregory Delzin, lead attorney for the Chief Immigration Officer and the Attorney General, said Hughes would be released as soon as possible, pending the hearing and determination of his legal challenge. “We will try to do it today, or tomorrow first thing.” Hughes's legal team of Jagdeo Singh, Gerald Ramdeen, Karina Singh, Dayadai Harripaul and Vashiest Seepersad confirmed the agreement. Assurances were also given that the terms of the deportation order for Hughes’ return to Trinidad and Tobago (TT), if he is successful in having his bail varied so he can return to Canada, would not be effected until the matter is determined. At the hearing before Mohammed, Ramdeen had raised concern that the deportation ordered Hughes, upon deportation, to remain outside TT. But Delzin said if Hughes leaves the country, he would be able to return. Delzin said he could not give an undertaking to suspend the deportation order, since he was not the minister, but told the court National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds would not frustrate its jurisdiction. Hughes is seeking to have his bail conditions varied so as to be allowed to return to Canada, as he has previously done. A hearing was set for September 9, but this has been pushed to September 13. On Monday, Mohammed set timelines for filing evidence, and a case-management hearing has been fixed for October 23. Early on Monday, Hughes’s attorneys approached the High Court to challenge his deportation and continued detention by immigration. A new application was filed seeking Hughes’ immediate release and an injunction to prevent the State from taking steps to remove him from the jurisdiction pending the hearing and determination of the matter. Hughes, 46, who is before the court on a sedition charge, was arrested for a third time on September 7 at the house in Diego Martin where he had been ordered to stay as part of his bail conditions. Since his arrest, Hughes has been detained at the Immigration Detention Centre in Aripo. Justice Kevin Ramcharan granted an emergency injunction on September 8 to allow his attorneys to get access to him for instructions. The Minister of National Security also signed a deportation order on Saturday. Hughes was served with it when he was arrested. The vlogger’s legal team sought the injunction after receiving no response to a September 7 pre-action letter which challenged Hughes’ latest arrest and detention The letter said Hughes arrived in Trinidad on August 18, as part of his reporting requirements for the sedition matter in the magistrates’ court. The letter said immigration officials permitted Hughes entry at the Piarco International Airport and at no time told him his status was being revoked. Newsday was told after the injunction was granted, his attorneys were able to meet with him at the IDC to get his instructions. The newest application seeks a declaration that the minister’s decision to issue the deportation order was irrational, unreasonable and illegal. Hughes’s attorneys are seeking a declaration that the decision to arrest and detain Hughes on September 7, pending deportation was in breach of his rights and is unlawful. They are also seeking to have the deportation order quashed and an injunction to prevent the State from deporting him at this time as well as damages. The application said Hughes was not given a right to be heard. It also said he was being deprived of his right of access to the court because of his detention to have his bail condition varied so he can travel before his next court appearance in the magistrates’ court. “Where a minister proposes to act in a manner that seek to deprive a permitted entrant of that status, the consequences of that decision and the nature and character of the decisions making power, are such that such a power cannot be lawfully exercised without affording the subject of that power the right to be heard.” On September 5, Hughes was detained for questioning about a video he had published. At the time, Seepeersad said Hughes “was arrested for being in possession of evidence of money laundering.” His laptop, iPhone, portable hard drive, GoPro camera, and other devices were seized by investigators. He was first arrested in July and is expected to go on trial in January. Hughes, who is on $100,000 bail, was first arrested in May and charged with publishing a statement with seditious intent on May 29. He pleaded not guilty. His trial is expected to begin in January. In June, he was given permission to return home until his court appearance on August 23 but was ordered to relodge his passport with the registrar of the High Court on his return, which he did. Two weeks later, he was detained for 12 hours in relation to a video he had recorded and questioned in relation to money laundering enquiries. Hughes said he intended to initiate civil proceedings against the police. “I live in constant fear – fear that I will never see my wife and children again, fear that I will never get my passport back, and fear that my basic human rights are being trampled upon in a country where I am clearly being targeted. My family relies on me, and here I am, stuck and powerless, waiting for the next attempt to take away my freedom. What will they come for next? “Will I be detained tomorrow? Next week? How long must I live in this uncertainty, not knowing when I will be free to leave?” he said in a press release after his second arrest. In August, Hughes fired his previous attorneys over a dispute over legal fees, alleging he had received a US$50,000 invoice. At the August 23 hearing, his attorneys Pamela Elder, SC; Anand Ramlogan, SC; and Russell Warner withdrew their representation. The State was also represented by Jinai Chong Sing and Chantelle Legore. This story was originally published with the title "'Chris Must List' to challenge deportation" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below. Attorneys for Canadian YouTuber Christopher “Chris Must List” Hughes are expected to approach the High Court in the coming days to challenge his deportation. Hughes, 45, who is before the court on a sedition charge, was arrested for a third time on September 7 at the house in Diego Martin where he had been ordered to stay as part of his bail conditions. Since his arrest on Saturday, Hughes has been detained at the Immigration Detention Centre in Aripo. Justice Kevin Ramcharan granted an emergency injunction on September 9 by to allow his attorneys to get access to him for instructions. The Minister of National Security also signed a deportation order. The legal team of Jagdeo Singh, Gerald Ramdeen, Karina Singh, Dayadai Harripaul and Vashiest Seepersad sought the injunction after receiving no response to a pre-action letter on September 7, which challenged Hughes’ latest arrest and detention The letter said Hughes arrived in Trinidad on August 18, as part of his reporting requirements for the sedition matter in the magistrates’ court. The letter said immigration officials permitted Hughes entry at the Piarco International Airport and at no time told him his status was being revoked. Newsday was told after the injunction was granted, his attorneys were able to meet with him at the IDC to get his instructions. On September 5, Hughes was detained for questioning about a video he published. At the time, Seepeersad said Hughes “was arrested for being in possession of evidence of money laundering.” His laptop, iPhone, portable hard drive, GoPro camera, and other devices were seized by investigators. He was first arrested in July and is expected to go on trial in January. Newsday was told Hughes was seeking to have his bail conditions varied so he would be allowed to return to Canada, as had been previously done. “The actions of the Executive in seeking to arrest and detain my client are absolutely and unquestionably unlawful,” Harripaul said in the pre-action letter. The post [UPDATED] National Security Minister agrees not to deport ‘Chris Must List,’ release him appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.