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Alert

Military personnel harass "La Jornada Guerrero" newspaper reporter

(CENCOS/IFEX) - Jesús Rodríguez Montes, a correspondent for the daily "La Jornada Guerrero", was interrogated and photographed at a military checkpoint in Huamuxtitlán, Guerrero state, southeastern Mexico. At the time of the incident, Rodríguez Montes was returning from covering a story about the assassination by army personnel of an indigenous man.

Rodríguez Montes was returning from covering the story when he realised that he was on the wrong bus. He got off the bus and began walking to where he could get the correct bus. Soon after he got off the bus he arrived at a military checkpoint where he identified himself and made it clear that he was a journalist. The military personnel at the checkpoint subsequently interrogated him for more than 10 minutes and took photographs of him.

In 2008 and 2009, there have been 20 incidents of aggressive actions against journalists in Guerrero. Of those that took place in 2008, 76% were carried out by public officials. Thus far in 2009, two journalists have been assassinated.

CENCOS expresses its serious concern over the possible high level of abuse being perpetrated by authorities in the context of the violence and militarization that exists in the state. The organisation calls on the state government to ensure that the right to freedom of expression is respected and guaranteed.