(PFC/IFEX) – Journalist Renato Álvarez, of TVC news television’s debate programme Frente a Frente, on Televicentro Corporation’s channels 3, 5 and 7, has been threatened with the filing of up to seven legal complaints against him for disclosing a report that reveals the names of individuals presumably implicated in drug trafficking. The complainants are demanding […]
(PFC/IFEX) – Journalist Renato Álvarez, of TVC news television’s debate programme Frente a Frente, on Televicentro Corporation’s channels 3, 5 and 7, has been threatened with the filing of up to seven legal complaints against him for disclosing a report that reveals the names of individuals presumably implicated in drug trafficking. The complainants are demanding that Álvarez reveal the identity of the source that provided him with the document.
On the morning of 24 June 2003, during his programme, Álvarez revealed a list of presumed drug traffickers’ names, operations and cartels. The list included current and former police officers, public prosecutors, lawyers, former justices, politicians and business owners. Security Minister Óscar Álvarez, who was a guest on the programme, did not refute or question the information in the report. Rather, he revealed that, since September 2002, the document has been in the possession of Otto Reich, then assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs with the United States State Department, who received it during an official visit to Tegucigalpa.
Those implicated in the report reacted in different ways. Álvarez has received threatening phone calls and messages, and, beginning on 26 June, several lawyers have announced that they are launching seven legal complaints against him. Five of the complaints demand that he reveal the identity of his source and two accuse him of slander and defamation, crimes which are punishable with up to six or eight years’ imprisonment without the possibility of bail under the Honduran Penal Code. Álvarez has refused to reveal his source.
Álvarez has provided the Comité por la Libre Expresión (C-Libre) freedom of expression organisation with the report. C-Libre has also taken his statement regarding the situation and has contacted a group of lawyers to defend him should the complaints proceed to the courts.
C-Libre and PFC condemn the threats to launch legal action against Álvarez. The organisations believe that the real purpose of the threats is to set a negative precedent to silence those who investigate and criticise acts that are of public interest.
For further information on the case, see: http://portal-pfc.org/perseguidos/2003/084.html
This alert has been prepared by PFC with information from C-Libre.
