‘Concerning’ numbers of St Lucians imprisoned in Martinique

The number of St Lucians imprisoned in Martinique is a source of concern for St Lucia’s minister of home affairs, justice and national security.

Hermangild Francis told reporters here that around 50 locals are incarcerated on the neighbouring island.

Francis said it is a ‘high number’.

“We are going to be speaking with the Foreign Minister so that she can speak to our consulate in Martinique so that we can get some information as to those persons, the treatment of those individuals, how they were incarcerated, whether their rights are being upheld and so on,” he said.

He expressed the hope that local officials will be able to travel to Martinique to visit the St Lucians who are incarcerated there to find out what is happening with them.

The minister recently attended a Franco-St Lucian Security Committee meeting in Martinique.

Francis said that during talks with Martinique officials he brought up the matter of French nationals who are in custody in St Lucia.

“One of the things I brought up was that when the French have their citizens in our custody, they are very quick to come across and make sure that those persons get their justice as quickly as possible,” the minister disclosed.

“I did question them and asked them ‘but why there is not reciprocity when it comes to St Lucians’”.

Original source: St Lucia Times