“Federal courts in Argentina dealt a major blow to President Javier Milei’s efforts to sanction critical journalists. In two key cases—one involving Carlos Pagni and the other Jorge Fontevecchia—judges and prosecutors rejected the president’s legal complaints, reaffirming constitutional protections for freedom of expression in the country.
Federal prosecutor Ramiro González ruled decisively in the Pagni case—concerning a columnist for the newspaper La Nación and the news channel LaNación+—saying there is no public criminal offense that would warrant intervention by the prosecutor’s office. The complaint filed by Milei, alleging slander and libel, falls under the category of private offenses, which must be pursued solely by the complainant—in this case, the president himself.
In a separate episode, the Federal Court of Appeals rejected an appeal by Milei that sought to avoid a court-ordered conciliation hearing in a case brought by Jorge Fontevecchia, founder of Editorial Perfil. Fontevecchia accused the president of inciting hatred through public statements against journalists.”
