General Assembly 2008 Country Report: Barbados

Vivian-Anne Gittens, publisher of the Nation newspaper, as well as Editor-in-Chief Roy Morris and senior journalist Sanka Price, face up to five years in prison in connection with the newspaper’s publication of a photograph that appeared to show two minors engaging in a sexual act in a classroom at a rural Barbados school.

The detention of and accusations against three journalists is linked to the publication of a photo from a Facebook video of two 14-year-old students having sex in a classroom. The photo, captured from the video taken on a mobile phone, accompanied an article on sexual activities at a rural school.

ACM endorses the position of BAJ that the threats against “Sunday Sun” editor, Carol Martindale are unacceptable and compromise the country’s reputation on free expression.