Dutch journalist Okke Ornstein who is jailed in Panama on charges of criminal defamation will be released by the Panamanian president in the midst of an international campaign for his release, according to his supporters. Ornstein is on a list from the Ministry of Government of persons to receive a reduction of sentence from the President of Panama in the coming days. However, the announcement does not provide further details.
Currently, at least 250 journalists worldwide have been detained in relation to their reporting work, according to recent reports by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and international nonprofit Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
The controversy generated in Panama by the regulation of a law that gives the executive branch of government the power to impose fines on the media may have arrived at a solution after a meeting between the government and media representatives.
The Panama Papers, the biggest leak in journalism’s history, led to a global investigative effort joined by about 100 Latin American journalists who were able to untangle how fiscal paradises work. Under the leadership of Spanish journalist Mar Cabra, the global data team from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) was the brain behind the investigation that required an analysis of 11.5 million documents; the team proved that knowing how to deal with big data has become essential to investigative journalism.
While journalists in Ecuador who were part of the global journalistic investigation known as the Panama Papers are facing a “campaign of harassment” led by the country’s President Rafael Correa and his followers, in Peru and Panama, the most adverse reactions have come from the traditional media and civil society, respectively.
The Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court of Panama rejected an appeal filed by two journalists and an editorial group against an earlier decision concerning a civil lawsuit filed by a former Supreme Court justice, according to La Prensa.
After a wave of criticism, the Panamanian Congress decided not to consider a controversial proposal that would have imposed serious restrictions on the practice of journalism for local and foreign correspondents, according to the Panamanian newspaper La Prensa.
The future of the former president of Panama, Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014), will be determined on March 25, when the electoral criminal protection that he currently has will be officially removed.
The decision by a judge to try a team of journalists from a Panamanian newspaper has been called “an alert for media that call out possible irregularities in public administration” by the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) in a press release.
The professional association of journalists in Panama demands improved security and protection for citizens after a news host survived a kidnapping attempt on the evening of Friday, Jan. 11, according to the newspaper La Estrella.
The Journalists' Union of Panama reported a 275-percent increase in the number of press freedom attacks in 2012, according the news agency Xinhua.
The Panamanian newspaper La Estrella reported a cyberattack on its website on Wednesday, Dec. 12, according to the publication.