A judge absolved three Paraguayan journalists of defaming a lawyer, reported the newspaper La Nación.
The lawyer Evelio Fabio Salinas accused journalists Silvio Cuevas, Yolanda Park and Andrés Caballero, as well as the ex-director of the television station Canal 9, Ismael Hadid, of "tainting his name" by reporting that he had falsified birth certificates to facilitate adoption proceedings.
Instead, Judge Manuel Aguirre said the person who told the media about the charges against the lawyer was guilty of slander. María Tomasa Lugo was sentenced to 180 days in prison, according to the newspaper Última Hora.
With his decision, the judge maintained journalists' right to report accusations based on official documents while presuming the innocence of the accused, reported Última Hora.
