“The Big Brother” Case: Correa’s Appeal was accepted

Lawyers for the defense of President Rafael Correa expressed their disagreement with the ruling issued by the fifth civil Judge Maria Mercedes Portilla,  against journalists Juan Carlos Calderón and Christian Zurita. They also requested an appeal of a judgment that orderedan indemnization of two million dollars to strap on “spiritual involvement,” $ 100,000 more in payment of fees to Gutenberg and Alembert Vera.

The appeal requests were accepted on Wednesday February 15. “The points at which my appeal is evidently directed, not toward the main resolution of Mrs. Judge, that is to be declared in the suit against Mr. Juan Carlos Calderon and Christian Zurita Ron, but accessory points with which I disagree and I intend to be reformed by the superior,” says the order.

This order will “avoid suspicions of the opposing party and interpretations out of context, indicated that the higher court, once you let me know the process of receiving, I will exteriorize more widely.”

The judgment was given on Tuesday February 7, for moral damages caused by the publication of the book “El gran hermano” (The Big Brother) research, which revealed the contracts that kept the president’s brother with the state.

Ramiro Aguilar, lawyer for the journalists “is focused on the development of our argument, then the conciliation hearing and trial shall continue. We must fulfill an agenda that the country should know what is behind this injustice, we’ll let you know our actions in due time,” Calderon and Zurita said.

(MS)