CANADIAN YouTuber vlogger Christopher 'Chris Must List' Hughes is expected to face a Master of the High Court on June 3 to answer a charge of publishing a statement with seditious intention. He was charged on May 29 under the Sedition Act and, if convicted, faces up to two years in prison.

Officers of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) arrested the 45-year-old travel vlogger on May 28. As of Thursday, he was detained at the Besson St Police Station. Criston J. Williams, one of Hughes' attorneys, was seeking station bail.

The TTPS issued a statement on Thursday titled: YouTuber on TTPS Naughty List Charged Under Sedition Act.

'The investigation into Christopher Arthur Hughes began after his social media activities under the pseudonym 'Chris Must List' came to light,' the release said.

'Hughes allegedly posted videos featuring individuals professing to be gang members, advocating criminal activities, and using threatening language.

'Hughes was detained, interviewed, and informed of the allegations against him. After consultation with the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Roger Gaspard SC, he directed detectives to charge the accused under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act.'

Contacted for comment, attorney Williams said Hughes' detention was extended under the Immigration Act before he was finally charged under section 4 (1)(c) of the Sedition Act. 'The (first) charge couldn't stick,' Williams said.

'Who in TT has been convicted of being a gang leader or a gang member,' Williams asked, adding that police would have had to arrest someone in a gang to make any case against Hughes.

'You want to accuse this man…of promoting sedition but you can't get him on gang charges?"

A charge under the Immigration Act could not have stuck either, Williams said, because an immigration officer has to be involved in the detention.

'No immigration officer was involved in Chris' detention, nor to date can they show that any immigration officer interviewed him.'

Charges of sedition, Williams claimed, are brought about when 'government wants to shut people up.'

He said the sedition charge, too, would not stick since there was 'no intention to incite violence or disorder,' referring to a 2023 Privy Council judgment in the case between the Attorney General and Vijay Maharaj, who was charged with sedition.

Hughes, in a voice note to Williams on the second day of his detention, said he felt his arrest was politically motivated.

'I am loved by this country; I want to keep it that way,' Hughes said.

'I have done nothing wrong. It seems like a political ploy for some reason. Someone in the government is upset.'

Williams told Newsday police called him on the second day of Hughes' detention saying he needed to be present while they interviewed him (Hughes).'

However, Williams said he was initially prohibited from speaking alone with his client before being told by a 'Mr Lee' at the SIU that he had two minutes to speak with Hughes.

According to Williams, Hughes was not told that he was present earlie