The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), in no uncertain terms, condemns the remand of Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and Police Constable Ryan Greene and the violations of the constitutional rights of peaceful protesters during police confrontations on Thursday and Friday.
The remand on Friday, October 30, 2026, of Mohamed and Greene on charges related to the Cybercrime Act is a matter of grave concern, particularly when, according to Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, the offences are bailable under the law.
The Congress believes that the continued incarceration of the Opposition Leader is intended not only to stifle his work and curtail his freedom, but also to send a message to ordinary citizens that the Irfaan Ali regime intends to use the apparatus of the State to silence independent and dissenting voices.
For those who believe this may be a personal battle between Ali and Mohamed, we must not sit silently and allow the apparatus of the State to be misused to further the personal agenda of any.
The Remand of the Opposition Leader and the Fight for Independence
The Leader of the Opposition is a constitutional office-holder who, based on the Guyana Elections Commission’s declaration of the 2025 General and Regional Elections, represents almost half of society. Any attempt to curtail his rights is a reminder of what this nation experienced during the British colonial period.
It is particularly disturbing that these developments have unfolded during the King’s visit to Guyana, serving as an eerie reminder of the treatment meted out to political leaders in the 1950s who fought for Guyana’s independence, including men such as Dr. Cheddi Jagan and Martin Carter.
Prison has often been used to silence leaders and prevent them from mobilising the masses to effect positive changes in their lives. It is also used to instill fear among the masses about the likely consequences of challenging the status quo.
In 2026, Guyana is fighting for a new form of independence: the freedom to express our thoughts, to sit at the decision-making table as equals, to hold the government accountable and to be treated as equal citizens of this nation.
The GTUC has forewarned that what is happening to the Opposition Leader should concern every Guyanese. If we remain silent, it is only a matter of time before we are all consumed by political intolerance, the abuse of State power and the manipulation of institutions to satisfy the personal agendas of those in authority.
The Congress therefore calls on all sections of the Guyanese community to condemn these developments and raise their voices in unison to demand the release of Mohamed and Greene.
It is instructive that the government, through a police statement, initially claimed that Mohamed was the aggressor in the October 12 confrontation. When Mohamed challenged that account and called for the CCTV footage to be released, the government said it could not locate it. However, when the purported footage was subsequently released, it showed Special Branch Head Prem Narine as the aggressor.
This raises a fundamental question: How many times have the police made false claims against ordinary citizens and gotten away with it?
Whether Constable Greene was involved is a matter for the courts to determine based on the evidence presented. However, whoever was responsible for releasing the footage has done this nation a great favour. That recording has raised serious questions about whether the police are above lying or setting citizens up to justify violations of their rights, including the taking of their lives.
The GTUC puts this government on notice that it holds the State responsible for the lives, safety and well-being of Mohamed and Greene while they remain incarcerated. If anything happens to either man, that responsibility will be laid at the feet of the Ali regime.
The Congress also urges the other persons incarcerated alongside Mohamed and Greene to ensure their lives and well-being are protected. We need them to participate in the judicial process and help unearth for society what many believe is happening. We need them alive. We need them well.
While the responsibility rests with the State to ensure their safety, GTUC appeals to their fellow inmates to act as their unofficial guardians.
Condemnation of Police Treatment of Peaceful Protesters
The Guyana Trades Union Congress also condemns the police treatment of persons protesting on Thursday and Friday. Those were peaceful protesters. The GTUC watched in agony the violation of our women, including Thursday’s incident involving Hana Mohamed, the sister of the Opposition Leader and office manager in his office. She was violated in one of the most egregious manners.
The Congress also notes the treatment of Jasmin Cort, the daughter and niece of two victims of the MV Barima tragedy, and former government minister and parliamentarian Annette Ferguson, who were thrown to the ground during police confrontations. APNU’s lead parliamentarian, Dr Terrence Campbell, and fellow parliamentarian Sherod Duncan were also caught up in the police altercations, with Duncan being handcuffed.
These violations occurred in full view of the international community and media gathered in Guyana for the King’s visit. These citizens were exercising their constitutional rights to public assembly and freedom of expression.
The GTUC calls on the King, the diplomatic community and the international community to take note: all is not well in Guyana. We are witnessing a style of government akin to Papa Doc and the Tonton Macoutes, where the police are willing to violate citizens’ rights and, acting on instructions from higher authority, target peaceful people.
Fundamental Rights Must Be Protected Regardless of Political Affiliation
The Congress calls on all Guyanese, individually, collectively and through their organisations, to stand up and speak out.
A violation is a violation. It matters not whether one agrees with Mohamed’s politics, considers him to have personal shortcomings, past or present, or has reservations about allegations involving Constable Greene. What matters are the universal principles.
If some believe Mohamed may have committed infractions, it is their civic duty to call on the State to conduct an inquiry. However, we must be able to separate the issues and stand firmly on principle, regardless of the individuals involved.
If we allow personal interpretations to guide the affairs of the State and the well-being of its people, rather than international conventions, universal declarations and the Constitution and Laws of Guyana, we expose ourselves and loved ones to similar abuses.
At this stage in Guyana’s development, with foreigners stampeding into the country and, based on recent statistics, likely to outnumber us, those who care about this land and the struggles of our ancestors to bequeath an independent nation to us have a responsibility to guard it zealously.
Guyanese must put aside personal feelings and, in this moment, stand up and declare that enough is enough. Right is right and wrong is wrong.
That is the call of the Guyana Trades Union Congress to every citizen of Guyana and every citizen of the world, near and far.
We must demand a better society, a better world.
Press Statement
Guyana Trades Union Congress
30th October 2026
