BELIZE CITY, Mon. Oct. 28, 2019– The principals of Breaking Belize News (BBN) appeared before the Court of Appeal this afternoon for a contempt of court case that was held in-camera.

When they exited the courtroom, one of the principals of BBN, Hugh O’Brien, told the majority of the city’s press corps who were waiting outside the court that he could not offer any comment.

O’Brien referred us to their attorney, Anthony Sylvestre, who was not present in court this afternoon.

Belize Breaking News, an online internet news outlet, published a story on April 8, 2019, saying that the media was locked out of the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal was having a Case Management Conference (CMC) for an appeal from government of an injunction which restrained the government from holding the International Court of Justice referendum on April 10.

The CMC was being held in-camera.

The Opposition People’s United Party (PUP) had secured the interim injunction from Chief Justice, Hon. Kenneth Benjamin, at the Supreme Court. The CJ’s injunction had stopped the government from holding the ICJ referendum on April 10.

Government eventually passed a new ICJ referendum law and Belizeans voted on May 8 to submit Guatemala’s claim to Belize territory to the ICJ for a final settlement.