Soana Benjamin made sure to clearly identify herself as a news reporter while she covered protests in the capital city of Roseau. Nevertheless, videos taken of her that day show a Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force officer verbally harassing her and grabbing her camera equipment.
This statement was originally published on rsf.org on 4 April 2025.
EmoNews reporter Soana Benjamin was covering protests on 19 March over an election reform bill in the Caribbean island nation of Dominica, when she was harassed by police. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns this mistreatment and calls for police to investigate the incident.
Soana Benjamin made sure to clearly identify herself as a news reporter while she covered protests in the capital city of Roseau on 19 March. Nevertheless, videos taken of Soana Benjamin that day show a Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force officer verbally harassing her and grabbing her camera equipment. The journalist told RSF that the police also used explicit language and, at one point, threw her phone from her tripod. RSF reached out to the police force in Dominica but did not receive a response.
“Soana Benjamin had every right to do her job reporting on the police response to a public protest. In such situations, police need to take great care in distinguishing journalists and respecting their unique responsibilities. RSF expects a full, transparent explanation from the police and concrete solutions to avoid a recurrence of this type of aggression.”
Clayton Weimers, Executive Director, RSF North America
“No one should suffer mistreatment at the hands of law enforcement — especially a member of the free press. We demand full accountability, a thorough and impartial investigation, and justice for Soana Benjamin. Furthermore, we call for urgent reforms to prevent such violations from recurring and to protect both the public’s right to know and our right to report the news.”
Emerline Anselm, CEO, EmoNews Ltd
Free speech and press freedom are protected by Dominica’s constitution, and RSF has no reported incidents of journalist arrests on the island. However, EmoNews says their team is being threatened and harassed more openly by police than in the past.
Dominica is one of 12 islands that comprise the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The OECS ranked 68th out of 180 countries and territories on RSF 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
