Former UDP leader Shyne Barrow blasts Oscar Mira for using police to arrest a political opponent over a satirical Facebook post
By Breaking Belize News Staff (HP): Former UDP Leader and former Leader of the Opposition and Shyne Barrow has come out swinging against the arrest of Alberto August, and ‘UDP Party Chairman Emeritus’, calling his detention deeply disturbing and demanding his immediate release from custody. ⠀ In a statement sent to Breaking Belize News (BBN) […] The post Former UDP leader Shyne Barrow blasts Oscar Mira for using police to arrest a political opponent over a satirical Facebook post appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
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By Breaking Belize News Staff (HP): Former UDP Leader and former Leader of the Opposition and Shyne Barrow has come out swinging against the arrest of Alberto August, and ‘UDP Party Chairman Emeritus’, calling his detention deeply disturbing and demanding his immediate release from custody.
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In a statement sent to Breaking Belize News (BBN) and also shared on Facebook this morning Barrow directed his anger squarely at Minister of Home Affairs Oscar Mira saying that using police to arrest a political opponent for criticizing him on Facebook strikes at the very heart of freedom of speech and the fabric of Belizean democracy.
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“The weaponization of the cyber bullying laws to persecute and silence political opponents should not be accepted in our Democracy,” Barrow wrote.
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He made clear that public criticism of elected officials, even when unfounded, is a cornerstone of democratic society and must be protected not prosecuted.
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“Criticizing Ministers and other elected officials should not result in being jailed. Public criticism of public officials is the hallmark of a strong Democracy,” Barrow stated.
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Barrow also revealed that he had already approached Minister Mira privately and asked for August’s release before deciding to go public with his demand this morning.
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“I asked the Minister privately and now I ask publicly for him to release Alberto August from custody immediately and reverse this course of action as it is an attack on the foundation of our Democracy,” he said.
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August was arrested yesterday under the Cybercrime Act after sharing a social media post containing remarks Mira says were fabricated and falsely attributed to him in connection with the murder of Dr Naum Bonilla.
The post Former UDP leader Shyne Barrow blasts Oscar Mira for using police to arrest a political opponent over a satirical Facebook post appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
