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A A Canadian video blogger who specializes in video interviews with criminal gangs during his world travels has been arrested for posting such interviews in Trinidad and Tobago, officials and his family said.
Christopher Arthur Hughes, also known as Chris Master Lister, has been charged with “making seditious statements” and will appear in a Port of Spain court next week, police said in a statement on Thursday.
The report said the 45-year-old posted a video on YouTube this week in which alleged gang members “advocated criminal activity and used threatening language.”
The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $3,000 fine.
Hughes arrived on the Caribbean island about three weeks ago and interviewed suspected gang members during his trip, sharing his experiences on Facebook and YouTube, where they have received more than 100,000 views.
All videos have now been deleted.
In some of these cases, gang members who allegedly carried weapons complained about government mistreatment of them.
Hughes’ YouTube page includes a message purportedly from his family saying he is in custody and unable to see a lawyer.
Located just a few miles from mainland South America, Trinidad and Tobago has become a major drug, gun and human trafficking point.
The government says there are more than 100 gangs in the country of 1.4 million people, and nearly half of the 242 murders registered in the country last year were linked to gang activity.
Last week, the daughter of a street food vendor was kidnapped and then released, reportedly for a ransom.
Four members of the gang suspected of committing the crime, one of the gangs Hughes had visited, have been shot dead by police.
Source: AFP
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