(IPYS/IFEX) – On 28 May 1999, Congress accepted the recommendations of a report put forward by the Defense Committee, presided by member of congress Martha Chávez and which investigated cases of telephone tapping against politicians, businesspersons and journalists. The surprising decision was made at 3 a.m. (local time), an unusual hour when only the members […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 28 May 1999, Congress accepted the recommendations of a
report put forward by the Defense Committee, presided by member of congress
Martha Chávez and which investigated cases of telephone tapping against
politicians, businesspersons and journalists. The surprising decision was
made at 3 a.m. (local time), an unusual hour when only the members of
congress were present, and had been pending for more than a year. The
decision includes a recommendation that the possibility of establishing
legal limits to regulate journalists’ rights to privacy and protect their
sources be discussed.
**Updates IFEX alerts of 14 January 1999, 29 May 1998, 21 November, 10
November, 6 November, 23 September and 16 September 1997**
A parliamentary investigation of the telephone tapping began in 1997 and
culminated in the presentation of a report by the committee president. In
the report, Chávez stated that no conclusion had been reached and that there
was insufficient evidence to incriminate any official or state institution.
According to Chávez, this was due to journalists’ right to protect their
sources (see IFEX alerts).
Legislators for the opposition rejected the initiative and noted that there
were strong agendas behind the push to approve an investigation that in
reality had never been carried out.
Before the discussion on the committee’s recommendations began, members of
congress for the opposition suggested that the debate be postponed until the
next plenary session, due to the lateness of the hour. This request was put
to a vote but was defeated by the governing party’s strong majority. The
debate began at 1:30 a.m. and the recommendations were finally approved at
3:00 a.m.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
tapping case
being threatened by member of congress Martha Chávez’s proposal, be
respected
Appeals To
President of the Republic
Alberto Fujimori Fujimori
Lima, Peru
Fax: +51 1 426 6535Martha Chávez Ocampo
President of the Congressional Defense Committee
Lima, Peru
Fax: +51 1 426 6035Ricardo Marcenaro Frers
President of the Congress of the Republic
Lima, Peru
Fax: +51 1 426 8290Jorge Santistevan de Noriega
Ombudsman
Lima, Peru
Fax: +51 1 426 6657
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
