Over $300,000 Awarded to Men Detained Under 2020 SOE

Justice Nadine Nabie of the High Court has delivered a powerful decision that could change the way authorities respond to violent crime. It all started back in July 2020, when the government declared a state of emergency and detained sixteen men. Those men pushed back, arguing their detention was unjustified and unconstitutional. They didn’t just want to be released—they wanted the court to say loud and clear that the situation back then didn’t even warrant a state of emergency. They also claimed they were locked up without any solid reason, violating their basic rights. And that was just the beginning, they asked the court for a total of twenty different declarations. Fast forward five years, and Justice Nabie has ruled in their favor. Her decision? The men were unlawfully imprisoned, and the government now has to pay them over three hundred thousand dollars in compensation. This ruling is sparking big conversations about how effective states of emergency really are in fighting crime and whether the powers they give to the authorities are being used responsibly. News Five’s Paul Lopez has a full story.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

It was a dramatic show of force, over 300 law enforcement officers flooding Belize City in July 2020 under a state of emergency aimed at curbing violent crime. But now, a High Court ruling says that the move was unconstitutional. And the fallout? The Government of Belize must pay more than three hundred thousand dollars to sixteen men who were unlawfully detained. At the time, then-Minister of National Security Michael Peyrefitte warned of rising murders and robberies, but the court has now painted a very different picture.

 

Michael Peyrefitte, Former Minister of National Security (File: July 7^th ,2020)

“We will not tolerate any lawlessness in this country. We are in the middle of a pandemic. We don’t need anymore headache. A stiff message has already been sent to persons of interest and more stiff messages are about to come, especially if they don’t decide to straighten up.”

One of the men now serving twenty-five years for murder is also among those being compensated by the state. Earl Baptist, once detained under the 2020 state of emergency, has been awarded fifteen thousand dollars after a High Court ruled his detention back then was unlawful. He’s not alone. Fifteen others will receive payouts ranging from twelve thousand dollars to twenty-five thousand dollars. The court found that the government overstepped, saying regular crime-fighting laws could have handled the situation in Belize City’s southside. But former Minister Michael Peyrefitte strongly disagreed.

 

Michael Peyrefitte

“All the investigative work and trying to solve the problem from a philosophical point of view is the best solution, but that takes too much time.”

 

A High Court ruling has delivered a sharp rebuke to the way authorities handled the 2020 state of emergency. Justice Nadine Nabie found that the rights of sixteen men were violated: no judicial oversight, no lawful justification, and an unnecessary two-month extension. The court says their liberty was taken without cause. And yet, just two weeks ago, another state of emergency was declared, under strikingly similar circumstances. The ruling raises serious questions about how far the government can go in the name of public safety.

 

Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police (File: 12^th May, 2025)

“We will do everting that is possible to return normalcy, peace and stability to the streets in Belize City.”

 

Reporter

“Even at the cost of the rights to persons?”

 

Richard Rosado

“We will do everything that is necessary within the context of the law, within the context of the constitution to return normalcy to the streets of Belize City. I am not disturbed, perturbed or overwhelmed by what is happening. We will do what we need to do.”

 

For years, families and human rights advocates have sounded the alarm over how state of emergency powers are used in Belize City. From alleged home invasions to detentions without evidence, many say the crackdown on crime has come at the cost of civil liberties. As far back as 2018, the Human Rights Commission questioned whether these emergency measures were truly effective, or just a blunt instrument. Now, with a recent court ruling calling the 2020 SOE unconstitutional, those long-standing concerns are back in the spotlight.

 

Kevin Arthurs, Former Vice Chair, Human Rights Commission (File: 6^th Sep, 2018)

“The question here is what method we use to get the result we need. If you are a doctor and doing surgery you will need the proper tools to do it. You ought not to use a hammer. The question from the human rights perspective is what tool are you using.”

 

Will the government fight the ruling or foot the bill? That’s the big question tonight after Justice Nabie’s landmark decision on the 2020 state of emergency. Sixteen men, once accused of being gang members, are now set to receive over three hundred thousand dollars in compensation for what the court ruled was unlawful detention. But the Government of Belize has yet to say whether it will appeal the decision or pay up. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.