Cybercrime Changes Strengthen Free Speech Protections in Belize
Alberto August knows firsthand how Belize’s cybercrime law can collide with freedom of expression. Authorities detained and charged him over a social media post involving then Home Affairs Minister Oscar Mira, although prosecutors later withdrew the case. August says the experience led to his wrongful incarceration and ultimately resulted in compensation. He is now welcoming the Cybercrime Amendment Bill, arguing that the proposed changes could limit abuse of the law, strengthen protections for free speech and spare other Belizeans from enduring what he went through.
Alberto August
Alberto August, Former UDP Chairman
“It’s refreshing to know that the government has taken a stance in terms of a piece of legislation that could have been easily abused. It is so unfortunate that in terms of this abuse, as was done against myself, it ended up costing taxpayers quite a, a handsome sum of money. But we’re hoping that they do not again waste the resources of this country in these kind of frivolous and these kind of personal attacks or personal coming after people who they believe are their enemy – are not their friends. So I am happy for it. It will save a lot of people having to go through what I went through. So we welcome it, and I noticed too that there was a recent training cyber unit, cyber law training for a large number of police officers. We hope that they capitalize on that training so they never again do what they do- that they did to me, to any other Belizean. So we welcome the amendments to the legislation.”
Shane Williams
“Did you sue the government?”
Alberto August
“They were the intent to do, but they decided to settle out of court, and you know there’s a little provision there where they say they make you sign a secrecy thing. I don’t want to go through it, but they were not actually sue, but they compensated. I will just leave it at that. I was compensated for being wrongfully incarcerated.”
Alberto August reached a settlement with government and was compensated in early August. He says his only regret is that those responsible were not the ones to pay the settlement.
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