The Alliance for Change (AFC) is calling on all members of the National Assembly to repeal the “archaic and incompatible” offence of blasphemous libel from Guyana’s statute books.
According to the party, 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.
“Blasphemous libel laws, by their very nature, criminalize expressions of religious critique or dissent and pose a chilling effect on free speech and open discourse in a democratic society.
Such provisions are not only outdated, but inconsistent with Article 146 of the Constitution and Article 19 of the ICCPR, which guarantee the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers,” the party said.
The AFC’s call come against the remand of a local artiste known as “Baby Skello”, who released a song in which he depicts the Hindu Goddess Latchmie in a vulgar manner.
The party noted that the United Nations Human Rights Committee, in its General Comment No. 34, has clearly stated that prohibitions of displays of lack of respect for a religion or other belief system, including blasphemy laws, are incompatible with the Covenant, except in very narrow circumstances such as direct incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.
The AFC is urging all members of the National Assembly to act swiftly to: repeal all legislation criminalizing blasphemy or religious insult, including blasphemous libel; affirm the primacy of freedom of expression in a pluralistic democracy; and ensure that any limitations on speech meet the strict tests of legality, necessity, and proportionality under international law.
Countries across the Commonwealth and beyond—such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland—have recognized the untenability of blasphemy laws in modern democracies and have acted decisively to abolish them. Guyana must do the same, the AFC noted.
