2 July 2009

Alert

Newspaper to close after being ordered to pay US$306,000 in defamation lawsuit


Incident details

Fine,

Debate, Newspaper

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(IPYS/IFEX) - On 25 June 2009, the "Debate" newspaper, based in the town of Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, in São Paulo state, was ordered to pay R$593,000 (approx. US$306,000) as a result of a lawsuit for defamation filed against it in 1995 by Judge Antônio José Magdalena.

According to the newspaper's owner, Sérgio Fleury Moraes, the ruling means that the paper, which has been in business for 32 years, will have to close. The value of the judgement against the newspaper is equivalent to two and a half years of the company's sales, as it collects US$10,000 per month.

In 1995, the newspaper reported that Judge Magdalena lived in a house rented by the municipality, where he also had a telephone line that was paid for by the local administration.

Source

Instituto Prensa y Sociedad
Sucre N° 317
Barranco, Lima
Perú
postmaster (@) ipys.org
Phone: +51 1 2474465
Fax: +51 1 2473194
 

More on this case

High Court upholds sentence against newspaper 18 October 2001 PERIODISTAS speaks out in support of "O Debate" newspaper 21 March 2001 Correction: São Paulo newspaper threatened with closure 6 March 2001

Brazil

Journalist assaulted by city council president in Caxias 10 March 2010 Radio station set on fire 12 February 2010 Suspect confesses to involvement in attempted grenade attack on newspaper 12 February 2010 TV reporters detained for two hours 8 February 2010 IAPA urges authorities to solve murder of Brazilian journalist 28 January 2010


 
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