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Alert

Two journalists face defamation charges

(PROBIDAD/IFEX) - Journalists Julio Ernesto Alvarado and Francisco Romero have both been charged, separately, with defamation. Alvarado is the director of the Channel 13 HONDURED television news programme "Mi Nación", while Romero produces the public affairs programme "Hablemos de Noche" on Channel 45 (RCN). Both television stations broadcast out of the capital, Tegucigalpa.

The defamation charge against Alvarado was filed by Belinda Flores de Mendoza, the dean of the economics faculty of the state university, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH). The journalist accused her of having attained her post by fraudulent means.

Flores' lawyer, Félix Edgardo García, sustains that, on 4 July 2006, Alvarado accused his client of having attained her post by "irregular" means and of "trafficking in diplomas" at the university. The journalist even questioned the validity of Flores' master's degree, according to the lawyer.

Flores states in her formal complaint statement that in his programme Alvarado "went to the extreme of stating that, in the competition for the post of dean, I obtained the lowest scores, that I was discovered cheating on my master's exams, and that I am involved in the selling of diplomas at the university."

Romero, meanwhile, faces his second defamation suit in less than a month. He is now being charged by the son of education minister Octavio Pineda for having implicated him in administrative improprieties.

Pineda's lawyer, Rubén Hernández, stated that "Mr. Romero has uttered a series of improper comments on his programme that could incite public hatred toward my client, and for this reason we are requesting that he be punished in conformity with the Penal Code."

In September 2006, Romero was charged with defamation by the head of projects for the education ministry, Jance Juárez, for having stated on his programme in August that she had abused her position of power, engaged in nepotism and was trafficking in political influence.

Romero is thus facing two separate defamation charges, both relating to his criticism of authorities in the education ministry. The Supreme Court will call the plaintiffs for conciliation hearings in the hope of averting a formal trial.