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International Agencies Ask To Drop Charges Against “El Universo”
Posted On 23 Apr 2011
“We appeal to you to drop the charges against EL Universo, its three directors and journalist Emilio Palacio, and to immediately end the state of intimidation to the press” wrote Gavin O’Reilly, president of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishing in a letter to President Rafael Correa.
This action was done due to certain libels against the president published in the opinion article written by Palacios: ‘No to lies’, on February 6. President Correa asks for a compensation of $ 80 million.
“Jailing journalists for doing their job is manifestly attentive to numerous international conventions,” notes the letter, which was sent yesterday to the president, it also quoted Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression: this right includes freedom to hold their opinions, receive and impart information and ideas through media and regardless of frontiers, by any means of expression.”
“We remind you that requiring the imprisonment of journalists and encouraging the destruction of a newspaper for an article of opinion are absolutely inappropriate actions for the president of a nation,” the letter said.
Meanwhile, other international organizations, such as Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ, in English), and the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-(IACHR) have also expressed their concern about the trial against El Universo.
Source: Diario El Universo
