Download - English PEN

30
director of the Destape website (http://www.destape.net), reportedly
received email threats on 7 and 10 November 2007 after reporting on a
domestic violence case in which a police officer was allegedly involved,
in Chiclayo, Lambeque region, north-western Peru. There was no doubt
that the threats were connected to Balcázar’s story, as one of the emails
urged him to delete the photographs of the police officer and his wife
from the website, or risk being tortured or murdered
*José Luis MÁRQUEZ: journalist for the weekly newspaper El Búho,
was reportedly threatened by two unidentified women at the newspaper’s
headquarters in Arequipa, south-western Peru, on 4 July 2007. The journalist
had investigated allegations of falsification of academic marks at
the National Academy of Magistrates (Academia Nacional de
Magistrados), a body of the judiciary in charge of training and accreditation
for judges and members of the Prosecutor’s Office. The journalist
has asked the authorities for protection.
Attacked
*Fidel CHAIÑA and Paty CONDORI (f): journalists with the daily Los
Andes and with a news website respectively, were assaulted by police
officers on 4 July 2007. The attack occurred when the journalists were
covering a teachers’ union strike in Juliaca city, capital of Puno, southeastern
Peru. Chaiña was detained by the police for half an hour, and
Condori had her camera taken away from her. The camera was retuned to
her after a number of other journalists intervened.
*Jose RAMÍREZ: contributor to newspaper La Primera, was ambushed
by the mayor and a group of officials from the municipal council of Wari,
in Ancash region, north-western Peru, on 11 November 2007. He was
returning from a commission hearing when the car he was travelling in
was intercepted by two council vans. Ramírez and his three companions
were forced out of their car; the journalist managed to escape but the
others were injured. Later, at a press conference, Ramírez reported the
incident and said that he had heard the mayor ordering his bodyguards to
look for him, kill him and throw his body in the river. The authorities are
reportedly investigating the case. Ramírez has previously been critical of
the current local administration and has accused the mayor of corruption.
On trial
*Jaime VÁSQUEZ VALCÁRCEL: editor of the newspaper
Pro&Contra, was accused of defamation by police officers of the
Criminal Investigations Division on 30 October 2007. The officers
claimed that the journalist had accused them of being involved in a
robbery in Loreto, north-eastern Peru, in September that year. On 20
October, a television programme had reported on the robbery, and a
source revealed that the weapons used on the theft allegedly belonged to
the officers. Vasquez subsequently published an account of the event.
*Lenia ZEBALLOS PASCAL and Héctor MAYHUIRE
RODRÍGUEZ: political affairs editor and general director of the newspaper
Correo respectively, have been sued by the Mayor of Huanuco,
central Peru, on charges of criminal defamation. The complaint was
admitted by the First Branch of Huanuco’s Superior Court on 6 August
2007. On 25 July, the newspaper had published an article describing, in a
colloquial way, the excessive mayor’s self-promotion in local activities.
The mayor also accused Zeballos of usurping functions, as she is not a
member of the journalists’ association, even though this is not a requirement
by law to practice journalism in Peru.
*Yrma ZELA VERA (f): journalist for the newspaper Correo, based in
Cusco, Southern Peru, was sued on defamation charges on 20 August
2007. On 13 April, the journalist had reported on a threat made by lawyer
Tica Luizar Obregon at the police station in San Sebastian, Cusco, on 11
August. The lawyer’s son had been detained because his car was not
insured, and the lawyer, who is the sister of Congressman Oswaldo
Luizar Obregon, allegedly threatened to use her brother’s influence to
have the police officers sanctioned. The case is being heard at the Second
Criminal Court in Cusco. PEN is seeking further information.
Suspended sentence
Julio LARA LADRÓN DE GUEVARA and Carolina ZAMALLOA
(f): editor and journalist of the newspaper El Comercio del Cusco respectively,
received a one-year suspended sentence on 10 November 2006.
Judge Aníbal Paredes of Cusco’s Sixth Tribunal also imposed a fine of
approximately US$620 as civil reparation for defamation. This followed
a publication in September 2005 on sexual harassment at the Fine Arts
School following allegations by students. The newspaper later published
a letter from the person accused in the article responding to the allegations.
The sentence was reviewed and confirmed by the Third Tribunal
of Cusco’s Superior Court. .
Rocío VÁSQUEZ GOICOCHEA (f): editor of the weekly newspaper
Investigando, in Chombote, north western Peru, was convicted of “aggravated
slander” on 22 May 2007. Vásquez received a one-year suspended
sentence and was ordered to pay US$900 in damages to businessman
Samuel Dyer Ampudi, who sued her in March 2005 after she implicated
him in alleged corruption in Chimbote’s fishing business. Vásquez
lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court of Justice, which confirmed the
sentence.
VENEZUELA
Death threats
*Hernán LUGO GALICIA: journalist for the newspaper El Nacional,
based in Caracas, has reportedly received email death threats since 5
December 2007. The threats came after Lugo was accused by the
Venezuelan President of being part of an international conspiracy against
him, by receiving payments from the United States of America. This
accusation followed an article of Lugo’s on the broadcasting of the
results of the referendum held in Venezuela on 2 December.
On trial
Julio BALZA: columnist for the daily El Nuevo País, was sued by
Ramón Carrizales, then the Minister of Infrastructure, for defamation
and slander in March 2006. Having made critical remarks about
Carrizales’ performance after the collapse of a bridge in his column
“Arroz con Mango”, Balza was accused of having damaged the
Minister’s reputation and infringing upon his “right to live with honour”.
On 15 December 2006, the two-year-11-month sentence against Balza,
passed by the Tribunal Noveno de Juicio (Ninth Court of Justice), was
confirmed by the Sala Sexta de la Corte de Apelaciones (Sixth Bench of
the Appeals Court). The ruling also ordered civil reparations of nearly
US$12,500. Balza’s defence announced that they will be appealing the
sentence. The journalist reportedly could not be imprisoned until the
sentence is evaluated and confirmed by another court. New information:
On 12 April 2007, the Venezuelan Supreme Court declared Balza’s
appeal inadmissible. However, recent reports claim that there is a further
appeal pending in this case, which should be resolved in early 2008.
Miguel SALAZAR: editor and columnist for the political weekly newspaper
Las Verdades de Miguel. On 19 April 2007 it was reported that
Salazar could face a prison sentence of two to four years and a