(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 15 November 2002 letter to President Ricardo Lagos Escobar, CPJ expressed its grave concern over a recent Chilean court decision upholding the charges of “disrespect” (desacato) against television commentator Eduardo Yáñez, a regular panelist on Chilevision’s debate show “El Termometro”. In January, Yáñez was accused of insulting the Supreme Court of […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 15 November 2002 letter to President Ricardo Lagos Escobar, CPJ expressed its grave concern over a recent Chilean court decision upholding the charges of “disrespect” (desacato) against television commentator Eduardo Yáñez, a regular panelist on Chilevision’s debate show “El Termometro”.
In January, Yáñez was accused of insulting the Supreme Court of Justice during a panel discussion, in which he described the country’s judiciary as “immoral, cowardly, and corrupt” for not providing compensation to a woman who, as it was revealed during the broadcast, had been imprisoned for a crime she did not commit. Yáñez felt that the woman deserved an apology from the courts for the damage she had suffered.
On 15 January, after the Supreme Court accused Yáñez of “disrespect,” Judge Juan Manuel Muñoz Pardo ordered the police to detain the commentator. Yáñez spent a night in the Capuchinos detention center in the capital, Santiago, and was freed on bail but has not been allowed to leave the country without official permission.
Yáñez, who is also a businessman and environmental activist, appealed the decision before a higher court, but the accusation was upheld on 29 October. He is considering appealing the verdict to the Supreme Court. If sentenced, Yáñez could face up to five years in jail and a fine of 15,000,000 Chilean pesos (US$21,000), according to Article 263 of Chile’s Penal Code.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the president:
– commending the Chilean government’s pledge to reform the onerous “disrespect” provisions and applauding his decision to give urgent attention to new legislation that will conform Chile’s press laws to international standards
– calling on him to do even more for Chilean press freedom by publicly condemning this prosecution and using it as a catalyst to speed up legislative efforts to eliminate criminal defamation laws
Appeals To
His Excellency Ricardo Lagos Escobar
President of the Republic of Chile
Palacio de la Moneda
Santiago, Chile
Fax: +56 2 690 4020
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.