10 May 2006

Alert

Journalists' assaulters freed by court ruling, APG urges government minister to intervene, given investigation's "deficiencies"


Incident details

Luis Mario Morales Mejía, Edward Orlando Morales

journalist(s)

assaulted

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(APG/IFEX) - The APG has asked the attorney general's ministry (Ministerio Público) to file a special appeal of the court ruling which resulted in the release of two police (Policía National Civil) officers who assaulted and threatened two "Nuestro Diario" newspaper reporters. The assault had occurred on 31 August 2004, during a violent eviction of peasants, carried out by government security forces at the Nueva Linda farm in Retalhuleu department.

APG president Hugo Rolando López and journalists Luis Mario Morales Mejía and Edward Orlando Morales met with the Ministry of the Attorney General's Private Secretary, Gerardo Hurtado Flores, to discuss the deficiencies in the investigation of the assault on the "Nuestro Diario" reporters.

APG is asking that all legal avenues to revoke the ruling be exhausted, including the option of a special appeal, and if that were to be ruled inadmissable, filing a cassation appeal before the Supreme Court, in order to ensure that the crimes not go unpunished, since the assaulting police agents went free.



Source

Comisión de Libertad de Prensa de la Asociación de Periodistas de Guatemala
14 calle 3-29, Zona 1
Guatemala City
Guatemala
apege (@) intelnet.net.gt
Phone: +502 2232 1813
Fax: +502 2238 2781
 

More on this case

CPJ condemns police attack on journalists 10 September 2004 Journalists assaulted by police 1 September 2004

Guatemala

Daily newspaper harassed after publishing information about government programme 5 March 2010 Guatevisión denounces harassment of correspondents by government officials 5 March 2010 Journalist concerned for his safety after investigating allegations of nepotism 16 February 2010 IAPA applauds reopening of murder probe 12 February 2010 Three journalists receive death threats after photographing criminals' arrest 18 December 2009


 
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