Roseau, Dominica – January 20, 2026: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Business, Trade and Energy wishes to provide clarity to unfounded information being circulated on social media about a national of the United States of America who is currently on remand at the Dominica State Prison.
While the Ministry is not in the business of responding to hearsay and baseless statements, it is felt that these particular statements, which are maliciously being peddled by the opposition, should be addressed.
It is public knowledge that Jonathan Scott Lehrer is one of two U.S. nationals on remand at the Dominica State Prison.
In accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the Embassy of the United States in Bridgetown requested and was given permission to visit and/ or hold meetings with both nationals since November, 2024.
It is standard Consular Practice for Diplomatic Missions to extend consular assistance to their nationals who are detained overseas, including, facilitating consular access and visits, subject to the relevant procedures of the receiving state. The request was made to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Diplomatic Note and confirmation was given by the Ministry of National Security and response was then returned to the U.S. Embassy.
As noted earlier, this has been ongoing since November 2024. The last meeting between the two nationals and the Embassy was held on January 14, 2026, virtually. Another in-person meeting is scheduled for February 2026 at a date and time to be confirmed by the Ministry of National Security.
The Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica remains committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, fairness and respect in its treatment of all detainees, and has at all times facilitated Consular access for accredited representatives to their detained nationals consistent with established practice.
To give the impression that this exercise is an attempt to reach an arrangement of some sort with the U.S. Government is malicious and misleading. The Ministry’s advice to the general public is to allow the justice system to take its course and refrain from making statements that could have adverse effects on the trial.
A Dominican guy was taken into custody by US drug enforcement in a massive drug trafficking matter.The guy escaped and went to Dominica a few weeks later the US government made a request to the Dominican government to extradite the guy.The Dominican government agreed,the police detained the guy and put him at the prison in Stock Farm.A few months later the guy was freed by a then a Labour party Attorney General,years later he is a FREE man in Dominica.He was never extradited by the government.This government know when and how to act.No name and date mentioned before DNO use the hammer on my comment.
First a report is made to the police.The police carries out an investigation,during the investigation there is reason to believe a crime is committed.In this case the evidence is not direct but circumstantial,the suspect is taken into custody and questioned.The investigation officer informed the suspect he is being charged for the offence,the suspect is then arrested.The investigating officer then prepares a case file.The case file when completed go though the appropriate head of department all the way to the DPP.After going through file and there is a mistake the file is sent all the way back to the investigating officer for correction.The accused can be sent back to the USA without trial but it has to be done by the Attorney General with government approval.The case can be dismissed by the DPP before it goes to trial, or presiding Judge,who can direct the jury to return a verdict of not guilty.If the accused are convicted,the a deportation order is made.Disclaimer/awaiting moderation
We’ll all be decrepit by the time the wheels of Dominica have taken their course. Regardless of nationality or status, accused persons should not be held on remand, without trial, for so long. If there is insufficient evidence to go to trial then be honest and upfront about it. The longer these cases are left, the more questionable witness statements and memories become. At least these guys have people on the outside monitoring their case. The Dominica street person known as Gravity has been on remand with no trial or court date set for TEN YEARS. This is a human rights issue. And there are probably others.
The response above reminds of the French citizenship case against PM Skerrit and he was not allowed to respond because they did not want him to incriminate himself. Is this what happened in the so called unsigned response from the ministery of foreign affairs
He was “not allowed to respond” because those who brought the case against him offered no proof of the offence (note, I did not say “evidence”). They provide zero proof that he was a French citizen. How do you accuse me of being “Bob” yet you cannot prove to the court that I ever had such a name?
Don’t seek to rewrite the facts!
Liar, Liar
They actually gave his French passport number and all.
If he did not have it, why then did he write to the French authorities to give up the citizenship in time for the elections?
How do you accuse me of being “Bob” yet you cannot prove to the court that I ever had such a name?
“If he did not have it, why then did he write to the French authorities to give up the citizenship in time for the elections?” This here, is one of the idiotic arguments proffered by the UWP during that court matter. It got them nowhere. It did not even help them win votes. Go figure!
https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/politics/skerrit-attempted-to-renounce-french-citizenship-before-2009-elections/
Facts are very stubborn
Lol, what you are reading on DNO is excerpts from an official Press Release, there is an official press release with the official letter head
from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, what silliness you are talking about unsigned response from the ministry of foreign affairs. Do you think that the Ministry would fabricate dates as to the meetings held with The US representative in a public press release.
How can this Press Release response equate what you believe regarding the French citizenship case against PM Skerrit that he was not allowed to respond because they did not want him to incriminate himself, wow, Really is this why he won, did you read the transcripts of the case handing down the verdict, so long.
I watched the video pertaining to the release of the alleged double muderer and here are my observations:
1. The name of the author of the video is there for everyone to see who exactly released it.
2. The author addressed the Prime Minister of Dominica and asked the prime minister to answer
3. The term “Prime Minister of Dominican Republic was mentioned four times and the Prime Minister by name once. For clarification the author did not address the government of Dominica neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
I also read the response several times and here are my observations:
.1. The response was not signed by anyone
2. It did not come from an official letter head of the government or ministry of foreign affairs letter head
3. There was not a government stamp on the letter
4 Based on all of the above I conclude that anyone or any operative of the government could do that. As a result, I disrespect, disregard everything I saw in the response. PM please respond
You on your nonsense, never ceasing, let me ask who is being charged for the alleged murder, The PM, lol, you watch a video and the author of the video cannot differentiate Dominica from the Dominican Republic lol. Someone is arrested for an alleged murder, why would the PM respond to such author of the video you mentioned.
As to the rest of your comment and what you believe regarding the Press Release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs it just shows how you do not engage in any type of thinking sad, your partisan political belief is what takes precedence, but again it’s your mind believe what you want so long
In the first place, this so called minister of international affairs seems eager to shift the slackness and incompetence of himself and the Roosevelt Skerrit government to the opposition!
Blame those who are not in power, let’s make them the scapegoat; due to our fear of the United States.
The fact is a crime of murder was committed in Dominica, which is a sovereign country, therefore the perpetrator, or perpetrators of the crimes of murder, are subject to the laws of that sovereign country Dominica. The problem is that in a third world backward island as Dominica the dragging of feet is always the case!
The alleged perpetrators were arrested and charged for crimes of homicide they should have long been brought to trial: evidence presented, and if found guilty they should be sentenced to the penalty dictated by the laws of Dominica. If not guilty they must be freed.
No one, native or foreign born deserves to sit in jail lingering without a trial!
What impression, more innuendo, message was conveyed to the people of Dominica via the said facebook post? Now that the government has spoken, will the author of that facebook post, message / comment provide any superseding evidence that would serve to make a lie the response of the responsible government agency?
Why are you so interested that the author of the Facebook allegation provide superseding evidence that would serve to discredit the response of the responsible government agency, lol, it shows some hidden motive from you. Why are you not questioning the Facebook allegations. They made an allegation, well prove it, not to discredit the Government. You know the purpose of this allegation, it’s doing exactly what it was intended to do, you see it by the comments on this forum, this is how social engineering works, great political tool.
But how is it that persons on the one hand calling for Jonathan to be sent back to the states, and one the others saying let him face justice here amount to “making statements that could have adverse effects on the trial?”
Has anyone been discussing EVIDENCE in the case on social media?
You see Political partisan row row supersedes the evidence, this is the
the situation we are plagued with in our Country by mischievous
relentless people who are seeking political Power, the pattern is there, this not new it’s just the continuation of the agenda.
I wonder what is the definition of the term
“row row” in the English language; American or Cambridge (British).
Skerrit and his cabal have their ting going on for real
We on de ground will be hounded like dogs
They are unable to prevent these stories from coming out and they cannot say is opposition propaganda.
You cannot treat this issue like a local one on de ground
you have to walk carefully…….dot your eyes and cross your tees
get lawyers to look at it properly before you respond
no matter what you say there is some evidence out there for such stories to come out in the public
opposition not paying dem to do dat………..everybody knows……even you
Lol another member of the choir, sing, sing, sing.
if you heard my real voice you would not want me in your choir
I take this as a great sense of humor. Let’s forget the humor and examine a statement you made, “no matter what you say ( The Ministry of Foreign Affairs) there is some evidence out there for such stories to come out in the public” You know this statement reminds me of The Lawyer representing Linton in Court when ask where is Linton evidence, and he said it’s in his head, isn’t that humorous, so long.
these guys are going to walk free wait and see eh Dominica
Well, the January 6th insurrectionists were all pardoned by Trump and set free. They are now all part of Trump’s ICE Gestapo now wreaking havoc on immigrants and American citizens oppose to Trump’s policies. We are talking about the PROUD BOYS, OATH KEEPERS and other KKK related hate groups in the US who are now emboldened to openly practice their racism against non- white people in America. So who knows? If Trump twists the arms of Skerrit to release these guys, they might also end up as part of Trump’s masked, fully armed Gestapo thugs. Hopefully in America and not on our streets or probably part of the Greenland invasion force.
Lol, verdict from Supreme Judge derp Commonwealth of Dominica case tried on public forum. Sometimes I wonder if people like you love your Country. Look at what The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had to make a public statement regarding this case, and you make such ludicrous comment. The Dominica Government is not the Judge and Jury of this case. I have always repeated that the freedom given to us to express our opinions should be expressed with responsibility. It is not we alone, Dominicans, who read what is published on DNO. Some people on this forum think that the Government is our worst enemy but don’t see their words and the things they say, so long.
@Eagle-Eyed Is your comment relevant to the above statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Why talk about things which you are ignorant about, and be a follower in the herd lead
by main stream Media, so long for your silliness.