The Buzz | St Vincent lawmakers weigh legislation on online defamation

Legislators in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are scheduled to consider a cybercrime bill today that would allow prison sentences of up to two years for online defamation.
Local rights organizations and international press groups are expressing concern the measure could stifle free speech and journalism in the Caribbean nation of just over 100,000 inhabitants.
“Criminal libel laws violate international standards for free expression and could have a chilling effect on the free flow of information,” said Carlos Lauria, a senior program coordinator with the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.
St. Vincent already has similar penalties for print and broadcast media, but those laws are rarely enforced, officials say.