Attorney Raises Alarm Over Denied Legal Access Under State of Emergency

Good evening. We begin with growing concerns over the treatment of detainees under Belize’s current state of emergency. A prominent attorney is sounding the alarm, claiming that basic constitutional rights may be under threat. Leeroy Banner, who recently secured a major court victory for sixteen unlawfully detained men, is now challenging the Kolbe Foundation after a client was denied access to legal counsel. The prison says it’s following emergency regulations, but Banner argues that the law is clear: even in a crisis, the right to an attorney must be upheld.

 

Leeroy Banner, Attorney-at-law

“Just yesterday a colleague of mine shared with me an email from the prison and I cant believe that the prison would put this in writing. One of my colleagues went to the prison to see someone who is detained under this current SOE. And, the prison would put in an email that you can’t see your client because he is detained under an SOE. Like, you really put that in writing. How can you be so bold and misguided to say that your client cannot see and attorney and he needs a court order to see an attorney. That is ridiculous.”

 

Isani Cayetano

“That, in my opinion, falls under your fundamental constitutional right.”

 

Leeroy Banner

“Of course it does. You have a fundamental right to an attorney.”

 

We sought comments from the Chief Executive Officer at Kolber Foundation, Virgilio Murillo, but our calls and texts went unanswered.