(PFC/IFEX) – On 2 September 2003, Zacatecas Fourth Criminal Court Judge Miguel Luis Euiz Roble issued a warrant for the arrest of Francisco Barradas, director of “Bi” magazine in Zacatecas. In addition, Barradas’ political rights were suspended and he is henceforth required to register every eight days with the authorities. Barradas is being prosecuted for […]
(PFC/IFEX) – On 2 September 2003, Zacatecas Fourth Criminal Court Judge Miguel Luis Euiz Roble issued a warrant for the arrest of Francisco Barradas, director of “Bi” magazine in Zacatecas. In addition, Barradas’ political rights were suspended and he is henceforth required to register every eight days with the authorities. Barradas is being prosecuted for libel, allegedly committed against a municipal trustee, Rafael Medina Briones.
The journalist was previously detained by the authorities for five hours on 26 August, following an administrative order issued as part of the same case. He was released after posting bail.
The complaint against Barradas states that on 27 July 2002, while he was director of “Imagen” newspaper, he published an article claiming that Medina Briones had been seen on the roof of a house, allegedly to rob water from a neighbour’s cistern. Medina Briones has said the information was false.
PFC sent a letter to Judge Euiz Roblez expressing concern over the decision to imprison the journalist. The organisation laments the criminalisation of cases involving supposed insults against the honour of government officials or individuals in the public eye, believing that this restricts freedom of expression as recognised in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ Declaration of Principles of Freedom of Expression. PFC believes these cases should be resolved by efficient “right of reply” mechanisms or, in extreme cases, financial compensation.
In August, during a visit to Mexico, the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Organization of American States (OAS), Eduardo Bertoni, said that in Mexico, “The use of penal mechanisms in defamation cases has resulted in some individuals, on occasion, being pursued, harassed and/or imprisoned for expressing their opinions about matters of public interest.”
For PFC’s letter to Judge Euiz Roblez and additional information on the case, see:
http://portal-pfc.org/perseguidos/2003/126.html
