By hipolito
Copyright greaterbelize
‘Your Humble Servant’ Sues Government
Convicted criminal, controversial online personality, and self-styled journalist Joseph Budna has filed a lawsuit against the Government of Belize. The lawsuit names the Attorney General, the Minister of Home Affairs, and several high-ranking police officials, alleging that Budna was unlawfully arrested, tortured, and kidnapped before being expelled from the country to Guatemala.
The lawsuit, a “Notice of Motion for Constitutional Relief,” was filed on September 15, 2025, in the Senior Courts of Belize.
The legal filing asserts that Budna’s fundamental rights under the Constitution of Belize were breached, including his right to liberty, protection of the law, and freedom of movement.
The document also alleges that the actions of the police and other state agents amounted to an “extraordinary rendition” that violated Belize’s obligations under international human rights treaties, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the American Convention on Human Rights.
According to an affidavit included in the legal filing, Budna detailed the events leading up to his alleged abduction. He states that he was doing a live video broadcast near the Orange Walk Police Station when he was attacked by four men who beat him and forced him into a vehicle. He claims he ran to the police station for help but found the danger was the police themselves.
The constitutional motion seeks several declarations and orders from the court, including: a declaration that the claimant was unlawfully arrested, tortured, and expelled to Guatemala; an order for the Attorney General to facilitate his legal and diplomatic return to Belize; an order for an inquiry into the incident; an order for disciplinary proceedings against the police defendants; and compensatory, vindicatory, aggravated, exemplary, and general damages for the alleged breach of his constitutional rights.
