"The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) urged Honduras' National Emergency System 911 to drop defamation charges against journalists from El Heraldo newspaper and urged the state institution to refrain from violating freedom of expression.
The legal action was apparently initiated in retaliation for the publication of a series of reports. On Jan. 21, the National Emergency System 911 (SNE-911) announced the filing of criminal charges "for the publication of injurious information" against journalists from El Heraldo Plus who authored several investigations related to contracts concerning a project to install five thousand security cameras, as reported by the newspaper.
The lawsuit announced by the president of the Intervention Commission of SNE-911, Miroslava Cerpas, also includes those who approved its publication in mid-January, as explained by the media. The official requested information from El Heraldo's director about a journalist and an executive from the company who authorized the publications, as well as certified copies of articles released between Jan. 14 and 18."
