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Legal Cases

Man sentenced to 14 years for attempted murder of Mexican journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva

"Armando Escárcega Valdéz, also known as 'El Patrón,' acknowledged to federal court authorities that he led a criminal cell responsible for the attack on journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva, which was carried out on the orders of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG, for its Spanish acronym). The admission of guilt came as part of an […]

More than 50 Mexican journalists have been accused in court in seven months, Article 19 reports

"Mexico is moving towards a model of legalized censorship in which judges, prosecutors, and administrative authorities are used to silence the press, warned Leopoldo Maldonado, regional director of Article 19 for Mexico and Central America, during the presentation of the book 'Cállense: los nuevos rostros de la censura" (Shut Up: The New Faces of Censorship), […]

Prosecutor orders closure of investigation of Peruvian journalist Gustavo Gorriti related to Lava Jato case

The Peruvian Public Prosecutor's Office has ordered the definitive closure of the investigations involving prosecutors Rafael Vela Barba and José Domingo Pérez, as well as journalist Gustavo Gorriti, in connection with the Lava Jato case in that country, according to the news site El Búho. The decision was made by the Supreme Criminal Prosecutor's Office, […]

Brazilian court reverses judgment against journalist and Zero Hora newspaper

"The Rio Grande do Sul Court of Justice unanimously overturned the conviction of journalist Rosane de Oliveira and the newspaper Zero Hora, of the RBS Group. The decision by the 9th Civil Chamber of the Rio Grande do Sul Court of Justice (TJRS, for its Portuguese acronym), on Nov. 26, annulled the conviction that required […]

Potential release of accused killer in Colombia alarms press freedom group

The Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) expressed its deep concern about how the Colombian Attorney General's Office is handling the case of Carlos Arturo Landázuri, alias “El Gringo,” accused of the killing of journalists Paul Rivas, Javier Ortega, and Efraín Segarra, of the Ecuadorian newspaper El Comercio, in 2018. In a Dec. 6 statement, FLIP […]

Public prosecutor's office investigates Colombian governor for journalist's murder

"The Fifth Prosecutor's Office before the Supreme Court of Justice opened an investigation against the governor of Norte de Santander, William Villamizar, for his alleged participation in the murder of journalist Jaime Vásquez, from Cúcuta, in a pastry shop in the city. Last April, Vásquez was attacked around 8:30 a.m. in La Riviera (Cúcuta) while […]

President of Colombia authorizes criminal and civil lawsuits against two media outlets

“Through his X (Twitter) account, President Gustavo Petro announced that he has authorized Army General Juan Miguel Huertas and Director of Intelligence Wilmar Mejía to file criminal complaints against Noticias Caracol and El Tiempo. This comes in response to investigations presented by the two media outlets regarding alleged links between high-ranking Army officers and alias […]

Brazilian radio station ordered to pay $280,000 over commentators’ criticism of electoral system

"Brazilian radio station Jovem Pan was ordered by the Federal Court of São Paulo to pay a compensation of 1.5 million Brazilian reais [around US$280,000] for collective moral damages. The decision [...] is considered by legal experts to be a dangerous tool for protecting authorities. The network was accused by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office […]

Abraji condemns court decision that forces Agência Pública to compensate former congressman

"Abraji repudiates the conviction of Agência Pública in the claim for damages filed by former president of the Chamber of Deputies Arthur Lira and warns of the risks that the sentence handed down by the 8th Civil Court of Brasília poses to the practice of journalism. In a decision dated Sept. 23, Judge Leandro Borges […]

Paraguayan commentator gets 10-year sentence after six women accuse him of abuse

"A sentencing court on Wednesday sentenced Paraguayan media commentator Carlos Granada Fernández to 10 years in prison for the alleged crimes of abuse, coercion and sexual coercion, following a case brought in 2022 by six women journalists who had worked under his supervision. The panel — Judges Laura Ocampo, Cándida Fleitas and Juan Pablo Mendoza […]

Court rejects applying law on crimes against humanity and confirms sentence in murder of Peruvian journalist

"The Judiciary rejected the application of the statute of limitations for crimes against humanity, as requested by Daniel Urresti's legal defense, and upheld his 12-year prison sentence for the murder of journalist Hugo Bustíos. [...] The prosecutor opposed the defense's request for the former minister to apply Law 31207 regarding the statute of limitations for […]

FOPEA condemns court decision that imposes legal gag order on Argentine journalists

"The Argentine Journalism Forum (FOPEA, for its acronym in Spanish) expressed its rejection and concern regarding the decision by the Tucumán court to impose a gag order on Gustavo Olarte, director of the Closed Circuit Television Company (CCC), as well as on the company's producers, journalists and presenters. The court order prohibits them from disseminating […]