(IPYS/IFEX) – On 11 April 2005, Judge María Gutarra Morote, of the Thirteenth Criminal Tribunal of Lima, presided over the pre-trial hearings on charges against journalist Mauricio Aguirre Corvalán, who is accused of “acting against the state by revealing state secrets”. Aguirre was instructed to appear before the tribunal on 2 June. The accusation stems […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 11 April 2005, Judge María Gutarra Morote, of the Thirteenth Criminal Tribunal of Lima, presided over the pre-trial hearings on charges against journalist Mauricio Aguirre Corvalán, who is accused of “acting against the state by revealing state secrets”. Aguirre was instructed to appear before the tribunal on 2 June.
The accusation stems from the broadcasting of a video tape on the “Cuarto Poder” television programme in September 2003, when Aguirre was the programme’s news director. The tape was made in 1998 by one of ex-president Alberto Fujimori’s sons, and shows the then president in a meeting with the National Defense Council discussing issues related to the war between Peru and Ecuador.
The journalist told IPYS that only extracts of the video were broadcast during the programme. The video was apparently provided by the press secretary of Fujimori’s political group “Sí cumple”, Carlos Raffo Arce, who was being interviewed at the time. Raffo is also one of the defendants in the trial. Aguirre also noted that the same images were used by Fujimori during his reelection campaign in 2000.
The journalist is not permitted to change his place of residence or leave Lima. In addition, the tribunal ordered him to post 10,000 soles (approx. US$ 3,000) in bail.
