Sentence Against Palacio was Ratified

Yesterday, judges from the Second Criminal Chamber of the National Court of Justice refused the appeal presented by Emilio Palacio, former editor of Review newspaper El Universo, in the slander complaint against President Rafael Correa.

With this resource Palacio had chance to appeal and resolve the complaint. With the refusal of judges Luis Quiroz, Enrique Pacheco and Felipe Granda, the conviction against Palacio remains firm.

The hearing to discuss the casattion request of the same complaint against El Universo Newspaper and  its directors, brothers Carlos, and Cesar Nicolas Perez, will be held on January 13, 2012

“The Board resolved the appeal without listening to Palacio in an oral public hearing as it is said in Article 325 of the Criminal Procedure Code,” said Palacio’s lawyer, Jorge Alvear. He also clarified that the extradition of Palacio is not applicable because of an extradition treat signed by Ecuador and the U.S. which does not judge opinion as a crime.

(MS)