Journalists unite to oppose Martinelli muzzling moves

The Forum of Panama Journalists for Freedom of Expression and Information and the National Journalism Council, in a joint statement, have expressed their “deep concern and strongest rejection” of the threats of lawsuits filed in civil, criminal and judicial jurisdictions.  By the Ricardo Martinelli family and his legal defense team  the family against journalists, citizens and the media reports La Estrella

The Martinelli family has undertaken legal actions that seek to order print media, the television, radio and social networks to refrain from publishing the name or surname or family surnames of Martinelli Linares report

The daily  La Prensa has a lawsuit before the Family Court for this cause.

The Forum  and the Journalism Council, in defending the principles of freedom of the press and of expression, and the right to information that all citizens have, made a call to the Judicial Branch and the Public Prosecutor’s Office to  “remain alert to  the practice of abusing the institutional justice system, as a tool of censorship, intimidation, and persecution of the freedoms of expression and information”.

Thes practices constitute, according to the organizations, a violation of both the Constitution of the Republic and the American Convention on Human Rights, which states that “every individual has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; This right includes the right not to be disturbed because of their opinions, to investigate and receive information and opinions, and to disseminate them, without limitation of borders, by any means of expression.”

Based on the foregoing, the organizations expressed their deep concern and their strongest rejection of the threats of lawsuits and claims filed in the civil, criminal and family jurisdictions against journalists, citizens and the media by the family of the former president Ricardo  Martinelli.