By Ingrid Bachmann
William Parra Jaimes, who worked for the multi-state channel Telesur in Colombia, is being investigated for alleged links to the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC) that go beyond his role as a journalist, reported El Espectador and the Associated Press. An international arrest warrant for Parra charges him with conspiracy, rebellion and financing terrorism, added EFE and Colombia Reports.
According to the Colombian prosecution, Parra is mentioned in various emails on the computer of Raúl Reyes, leader of the guerrilla group who was killed in 2008. However, the journalist declared his innocence and said his rights are being violated, added Reuters.
Although at first the Colombian media said Parra was employed by Telesur, the news station says that the journalist has not been associated with the channel since 2008, explained the news agency ANSA. Telesur emphasized Parra's professional integrity and quality, and said the charges were an attempt to criminalize his work.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
