By Ingrid Bachmann
The Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) warned that the sentencing of Peruvian journalist Fernando Santos Rojas to one year in jail for aggravated defamation severely limits freedom of expression.
Santos Rojas was sentenced to one year in prison and a $700 fine for defaming the mayor of Satipo, whom the journalist called "inept and incapable." According to EFE, the sentence was suspended, but the journalist is on probation, cannot leave town without judicial authorization, and the journalist also must correct his stories to rectify the opinions he voiced about the mayor.
In a statement, the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression said the sentence prohibits the journalist from "referring to matters of public interest in which the municipal government is involved," and it restricts his freedom of movement to "look for information."
Santos Rojas appealed the sentence and the rapporteur urged judicial authorities to take into account international standards for freedom of expression.
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.
