Opposition party calls for repeal of blasphemous libel laws

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

The opposition Alliance for Change (AFC) Monday called on Parliament to repeal what it described as the “archaic and incompatible offence” of blasphemous libel from Guyana’s statute books saying it violates the country’s Constitution and international law.

In a statement, the AFC said that this colonial-era law stands in direct contradiction to Article 146 of the Constitution, International human rights obligations, including Guyana’s commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Guyana is a State Party.

It said that the Constitution and the ICCPR guarantee the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers.

“Blasphemous libel laws, by their very nature, criminalise expressions of religious critique or dissent and pose a chilling effect on free speech and open discourse in a democratic society,” the AFC said.

The call by the AFC comes as a local artiste, David “Baby Skello” Wharton, was remanded to prison last Friday on a charge of blasphemous libel connected to a song about a Hindu deity that he had performed and posted on social media.

The singer has since apologised and removed the song from his social media platform. If convicted, he could be sentenced to a maximum of one year imprisonment.

The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) Monday said that it wanted to inform the general public that it had “no involvement in the prosecution or subsequent remand” of the artiste.

The Commission recalled that it had publicly issued two formal invitations, on May 14 and May 23, 2025, urging Wharton to appear before the ERC to discuss concerns regarding his tune “which has been widely criticised for disparaging a Hindu goddess.

“These appeals were made in response to ERC receipt of formal complaints from the Hindu community. Despite the ERC’s well-publicised efforts to initiate a dialogue, Mr Wharton did not respond or present himself for an interview. As the Commission does not possess subpoena powers, it was unable to compel his attendance or further engage with him on this matter,” the ERC said.

It said following the release of the song, the ERC issued a statement on May 8, 2025 “condemning the contents” noting that the song “portrays the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi in a vulgar, sexually explicit, and blasphemous manner.

“This content constitutes a deeply offensive act that strikes at the heart of the Hindu community’s religious beliefs and is wholly unacceptable in a society that values mutual respect and coexistence,” the ERC said.

The AFC said countries across the Commonwealth and beyond, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland, have recognised the untenability of blasphemy laws in modern democracies and have acted decisively to abolish them. Guyana must do the same.