Benschop treason trial opens tomorrow in Guyana

Monday, October 6, 2003

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: The trial of a controversial Guyanese television personality opens in Georgetown tomorrow amidst call from a New York-based group for the intervention by U.S. President George W. Bush.

Mr. Mark Benschop is accused of treason for his part in allegedly storming the Office of Guyana's President, Mr. Bharat Jagdeo, on 3, July, 2002. The prosecution claim Mr. Benschop conspired with others to forcibly and unlawfully enter the compound of the Office of the President and were present at that place where they encouraged others, by word and conduct, to storm the premises. Two persons were killed and several others wounded.

But The Guyana Institute for Democracy, claim Mr. "Benschop is an innocent Guyanese-American journalist, who has been jailed by the People's Progressive Party (PPP) government of Guyana on trumped up treason charges. Benschop did not commit treason or any other crime. His imprisonment is undeniably a ruthless form of political persecution for his dissenting political views, insistent advocacy and uncompromising investigative journalism."

In a letter to President Bush, and Secretary of State, Colin Powell, GID President, Mr. Rickford Burke, lamented on attempts by the Guyana government to curb Mr. Benschop's right to free speech, and branded his incarceration as an act of judicial lynching. He also deemed the PPP government's action as an assault on democracy and an effort to emasculate the African press, which the ruling party views as anti-government.

The Baharrat Jagdeo government has called the attack "sinister and diabolical" and said "that any attempt to tamper with the essential structures of the state will be met with the full might of the law, the consequences of which can be severe."

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