Journalist appeals to have sentence reversed

(IFJ/IFEX) – On 10 June 1999, Judge Antonio Valdia Garcia of the Criminal Court sentenced journalist Alfredo del Carpio Linares, the director of “Veredicto” newspaper, to a two-year suspended prison sentence and ordered him to pay 20,000 soles (approx. US$2,000) in damages to the mayor of Camana, Enrique Gutierrez Souza. Gutierrez had accused the journalist […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – On 10 June 1999, Judge Antonio Valdia Garcia of the Criminal
Court
sentenced journalist Alfredo del Carpio Linares, the director of “Veredicto”
newspaper, to a two-year suspended prison sentence and ordered him to pay
20,000 soles (approx. US$2,000) in damages to the mayor of Camana, Enrique
Gutierrez Souza.

Gutierrez had accused the journalist of slander under Article 132 of the
Peruvian Criminal Code. Linares denied the accusations and explained that
the witnesses brought forward by Gutierrez were employees of the
municipality of Camana. These witnesses testified that they had seen the
journalist distributing pamphlets containing slanderous messages against the
mayor. Linares has said that he can prove that he was teaching in a school
at the time of the alleged incident.

Further to his sentencing, Linares is appealing in front of the
“decentralised” courtroom of the Province of Camana, as he believes this is
yet another attempt to silence journalists investigating the mayor’s
inflated construction projects and attacks against human rights. The judge
from this court has agreed to hear the new arguments presented by the
journalist on 15 July.

The journalist explains that there have been many attempts to silence him.
He has being the target of many threats and attacks since the launch of the
municipal election campaign on 11 October 1998. Notably, he was told on many
occasions that he would be kicked out of the city if he did not leave
willingly, as ANP explains.

Recommended Action

Dr. Domingo Vásquez Cáceres

President of the Court

Sala Mixta Decentralizada

Fax: +0051 54 571831

Dr. Jorge Santistevan de Noriega

Public Defender

Office of the Public Defender

Fax: +0051 14 267800