A 22 –year-old man, who became the first person to be charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act in Trinidad and Tobago following postings he made on social media, will re-appear in court on November 26 after he was sent to a mental institution for evaluation yesterday.
Jonathan Anthony Mohammed appeared before a Chief Magistrate accused of sedition and inciting terrorism activities. He was remanded to the St. Ann’s Mental Hospital for evaluation.
According to the charges read out in court, Mohammed on October 28, “knowingly and without lawful excuse incited the commission of a terrorist act likely to cause the loss of life or severe bodily harm and or the endangerment of persons lives to wit suggesting that the African population be reduced by violent means with the intention of intimidating,’ and for “the purpose of advancing an ideological or religious cause”
He was also charged with using his Facebook page, which was viewed by persons on his friends list, to communicate “seditious statements the purpose of which was to endanger or promote feelings of ill-will or hostility or contempt between persons of East Indian descent on the one hand and persons of African descent on the other hand”.
Mohammed was not called upon to plead to the indictable offences.
The police had said that one of the posts included a video of a moving convoy of armoured vehicles in which one of the vehicles was suddenly destroyed by an explosive. They said they found other posts preceding the video calling on members of the public to engage in acts of racial violence.
