Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman on Friday again rebuked Hana Mohamed, sister of Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, over social media activity surrounding the extradition proceedings involving her brother and father, months after she was previously ordered to stop posting evidence from the case online.
The latest intervention came shortly before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts broke at noon to allow Azruddin Mohamed to attend a funeral.
Latchman called Hana Mohamed forward after concerns were raised about social media posts and comments involving witnesses and members of the prosecution.
“Please kindly stop posting. If you are doing it, you need to desist. We don’t need any hiccups,” Latchman said.
Hana Mohamed told the court that her attorney had advised her to remain silent and not answer questions.
The magistrate nevertheless stressed that people connected to the proceedings should refrain from conduct that could interfere with the case or create an environment in which witnesses feel intimidated.
Prem Narine, head of intelligence in the Guyana Police Force and a prosecution witness, told the court that he felt threatened and was concerned about the safety of members of his family.
Prosecuting attorney Glen Hanoman also raised concerns about social media activity concerning him. He alleged that Hana Mohamed was “obsessed” with him and expressed concern about possible retaliation.
Latchman subsequently directed defense attorney Siand Dhurjon to speak with family members and tell them to stop making the comments.
Attorney Roysdale Forde, who represents Mohamed, sought to distinguish social media commentary by people connected to the proceedings from legitimate media reporting.
Forde said he was less concerned about what was being posted on Facebook and more concerned about what he described as inaccurate accounts of the proceedings being circulated through media reports.
Latchman, however, reiterated that nothing should be done that could intimidate witnesses.
At one point, the magistrate told Hana Mohamed that apologising to Narine was the appropriate course of action.
“The proper thing to do is to apologise,” Latchman said.Friday’s intervention was not the first time Hana Mohamed has been reprimanded over social media activity connected to the extradition proceedings involving her brother, Azruddin, and father, Nazar Mohamed.
On March 13, Latchman ordered her to stop posting evidence from the extradition hearing after Hanoman raised concerns that testimony was being transcribed and published online as the proceedings unfolded.
Hana Mohamed denied recording the proceedings and told the court she had been taking notes “like other journalists.”
Latchman nevertheless issued a clear warning that evidence from the proceedings should not be posted online and stressed the sensitive nature of the information being presented.
The incident also highlighted the distinction between independent media coverage and social media commentary by relatives of the men whose extradition is being sought. Hana Mohamed is the daughter of Nazar Mohamed and sister of Azruddin Mohamed and has regularly attended proceedings involving the two men.
Concerns about her social media activity had surfaced even before the March warning.
In February, Hanoman publicly challenged a Facebook post appearing on a page operating under the name “Hana Khamelia,” which was reported as being associated with Hana Mohamed. The post purported to describe evidence presented during the extradition hearing.
Hanoman described the account as false and misleading and said it did not accurately reflect what had occurred in court. He warned at the time that inaccurate accounts of judicial proceedings could undermine public confidence in the administration of justice.
In March, Hanoman also expressed concern about people with a direct stake in the proceedings publicizing evidence and said such information was not always being presented accurately.
Friday’s exchange therefore marked another direct intervention by the court over social media activity surrounding the case and another occasion on which Hana Mohamed was personally addressed by Latchman about online postings.
The extradition proceedings against Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed are scheduled to continue Monday, Sept. 7, at 9 a.m.