Dr. Dexter Todd Slams Mass Arrests Following Adriana Younge Protests: “Terrorism Charges Are Misused”
By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News.
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Prominent attorney-at-law and forensic expert Dr. Dexter Todd has harshly criticized the mass arrests and terrorism charges brought against dozens of individuals following the civil unrest over the death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge.
Over 100 people were arrested during widespread protests and roadblocks that erupted after the child’s body was found in a hotel pool in Tuschen. But Dr. Todd says that police failed to differentiate between innocent civilians and those actually engaged in criminal acts.
“When you listen to what was discussed with the young men during interrogation, there was no mention of video evidence showing them burning roads or throwing objects,” Todd stated. “That raises serious questions about the basis for their arrest.”
While the Guyana Police Force has not publicly released the evidence it claims to have, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo, defended the state’s position, saying video footage exists for most of the individuals charged.
“There is no special treatment for anyone who incites violence,” Jagdeo said at a press conference on Thursday. “For the majority of those before the courts, video evidence confirms their actions.”
However, Todd dismissed those assertions, arguing that the use of terrorism laws in this context is both extreme and inappropriate.
“The police, in my view, went on a rampage. They picked up a bunch of innocent Black youths and put them before the court. They will have an extremely difficult time producing any credible evidence of terrorism,” he said.
Todd further contended that proper investigations were not carried out before charges were filed, a move he described as legally reckless.
“To charge someone for terrorism, you need a thorough investigation—none of that was done. These charges were filed before any proper groundwork was laid,” he added.
The arrests, and the terrorism charges attached to many of them, have triggered widespread criticism from civil society groups, opposition figures, and human rights advocates, who have questioned whether the state’s actions were proportionate or politically motivated.
Dr. Todd concluded by saying the Anti-Terrorism Act is being misused, and warned that this approach sets a dangerous precedent for how dissent and protest are handled in Guyana.
