“The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) welcomes the recent ruling by Panama's Supreme Court of Justice, which dismissed a civil lawsuit against the newspaper La Prensa. The IAPA sees this as a landmark precedent in defending freedom of expression and citizens’ right to be informed.
The ruling, issued by the First Civil Chamber and written by Justice Olmedo Arrocha Osorio on March 26, 2025, but made public on Thursday [Aug. 31], put an end to a case filed in 2005 by former senior prosecutor Argentina Barrera. She sued La Prensa over an article based on an official statement from the Attorney General’s Office reporting her dismissal, La Prensa reported.
Barrera sought USD $1 million in damages, arguing the article’s headline — ‘Senior Prosecutor Barrera Dismissed Attorney General’s Office Hunting Corrupt Officials’ — indirectly linked her to corruption. The Court, however, concluded the report contained no falsehoods and met the journalistic standards required.”
