Court  ruling denounced as blow to press freedom

The  Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) cataloged the judicial order of the judge of guarantees Elkis Martínez to prohibit La Prensa from publishing images of the lawyer Janio Lescure, who cannot be investigated as a “serious antecedent” for press freedom.

Martínez made the decision on  Monday, June 8, at a hearing on the violation of rights in the First Judicial District of Panama, under the rules of the accusatory criminal system.

The decision is related to the criminal proceeding that follows the president of Corporación La Prensa (Corprensa), Diego Quijano , and associate director Rolando Rodríguez, for the alleged crimes against honor to the detriment of Lescure.

IAPA President Christopher Barnes and Roberto Rock, President of the Commission on Freedom of the Press and Information, agreed on Thursday, June 11, that Martínez’s opinion “is a serious antecedent,” which violates international standards and constitutional rights. on press freedom.

Barnes and Rock urged to reverse “the prior censorship ruling that seeks to muzzle investigative journalism on matters in the public domain.”

images of the lawyer Janio Lescure, who cannot be investigated as a “serious antecedent” for press freedom .

Martínez made the decision on  Monday, June 8, at a hearing on the violation of rights in the First Judicial District of Panama, under the rules of the accusatory criminal system.

The decision is related to the criminal proceeding that follows the president of Corporación La Prensa (Corprensa), Diego Quijano , and associate director Rolando Rodríguez , for the alleged crimes against honor to the detriment of Lescure.

IAPA President Christopher Barnes and Roberto Rock , President of the Commission on Freedom of the Press and Information, agreed on Thursday, June 11, that Martínez’s opinion “is a serious antecedent,” which violates international standards and constitutional rights. on press freedom.

Barnes and Rock urged to reverse “the prior censorship ruling that seeks to muzzle investigative journalism on matters in the public domain.”

Roberto Eisenmann , founder of r La Prensa , said it is the first time he knows that a judge prohibits a media outlet from using a photo of a news event.

“It is outrageous regarding press freedom … What kind of justice are we creating? It is a really worrying threat to freedom of the press and of opinion … Freedom of the press is not the freedom of a newspaper; it belongs to the citizens ”, he said.