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Alert

Radio programme editor assaulted, his life threatened, in Quetzaltenango

(APG/IFEX) - APG condemns the threatening acts committed against David Leiva, who works for the radio news magazine programme "Sucesos", broadcast on radio station Stereo 100 in the city of Quetzaltenango. Leiva was assaulted by assailants who threatened to stab him to death in front of the station's headquarters on 25 September 2006.

Leiva was about to enter the station to work on the news programme on the morning of 25 September, when he was stopped by three men wearing ski-masks who, armed with daggers and threatening to kill him, demanded the keys to the station.

After threatening him, they cut his hair and beat him until he was finally prostrate on the ground; one of the assailants was going to stab him to death, but the leader of the group stopped him.

Stereo 100 station director Francisco Rojas has condemned the assault and told the APG that it was "a threatening message" intended as punishment for exercising the write to inform the public and be informed.

APG condemns these criminal acts and asks the authorities to investigate who is behind the attack, aimed at silencing a Quetzaltenango media outlet.

Complaints about the incident have been filed with the mayor of Quetzaltenango, the governor of the department of the same name, the human rights attorney general's office, the national police and APG.