According to the Gazette, Justice Carol Gobin issued freezing orders on April 8 in relation to Hezbollah and the IRGC, while Justice Jacqueline Wilson issued a separate order on April 9 listing Hamas as a declared entity. The court directed that all property owned or controlled locally by the organisations—whether wholly, jointly, directly or indirectly—must be frozen. The measures also extend to assets held through intermediaries or proxy arrangements. Notably, the identities of any local organisations linked to the groups were redacted in the official notice.

The declarations will be subject to ongoing six-month reviews by Attorney General John Jeremie, ensuring continued judicial and executive oversight. The decision aligns Trinidad and Tobago with international counter-terrorism efforts, including those guided by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 and compliance mechanisms of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Many countries across Europe, North America and the Caribbean have adopted similar measures targeting these organisations, which are designated as terrorist entities by several major global powers.

However, the move has sparked debate locally. Attorney CJ Williams questioned the timing and transparency of the decision, arguing that such determinations should be grounded in intelligence assessments from the Strategic Services Agency (SSA), reports of which have not been publicly released in recent years. Meanwhile, the Concerned Muslims of Trinidad and Tobago expressed fears that the designation could contribute to the stigmatisation of Muslim communities. The group’s public relations officer, Imtiaz Mohammed, criticised what he described as a foreign-aligned agenda and called for greater accountability and clarity from the Government, while emphasizing that opposition to terrorism should not lead to community marginalisation.

Sources: (FATF), UN Security Council Resolution 1373, High Court Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago Extraordinary Gazette