Human Rights Watch condemns  arrest of Panama journalist

The director of the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch (HRW), José Miguel Vivancos, said on Friday, October 30 that the arrest of a journalist, when he was covering a protest in Panama City was “arbitrary” and he questioned the Ministry of Security for “covering up” the Police.”

The Panamanian police arbitrarily detained journalist Juan Cajar when he was covering a demonstration, although he repeatedly showed his credential. They accuse him of” disturbing public order. “How is it possible that @MinSegPma covers up the police claiming that he did not have identification?” he wrote on his Twitter account.

Juan Cajar, a journalist for La Estrella de Panamá, was detained by the National Police along with five other protesters when he covered protests at the National Assembly against the recently approved General State Budget. According to a statement from the National olice police, Cajar “while at the police headquarters (…) took out a press card that he did not carry at the time of the police action, he did not keep filming or recording equipment or any equipment of those used by professionals of the press. “

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