The Grenada 17: Last of the cold war prisoners?

In 1983 the United States of America (USA) led an invasion of Grenada which removed from power the government of the island. In 1986, fourteen former members of the Government of Grenada and three soldiers, now known as the Grenada 17, were convicted for the 19 October 1983 execution-style murders of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and several others. Amnesty International classifies the Grenada 17 as political prisoners and as such called for them to be granted a prompt, fair and impartial trial. This report looks at the historical context and the crime in question, and subsequently examines the adequacy of the trial and appeals processes within the context of international human rights law and standards.