(IPYS/IFEX) – The director of the daily “El Metropolitano”, Enrique Alvarado, business editor Javier Urrutia and photojournalist Mireya Muñoz were questioned for three hours by the Investigative Police in connection with the case in which they are accused of violating Article 6 (b) of the State Security Law (Ley de Seguridad Interior del Estado, LSIE) […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – The director of the daily “El Metropolitano”, Enrique Alvarado, business editor Javier Urrutia and photojournalist Mireya Muñoz were questioned for three hours by the Investigative Police in connection with the case in which they are accused of violating Article 6 (b) of the State Security Law (Ley de Seguridad Interior del Estado, LSIE) by businessman and outspoken Senator Francisco Javier Errázuriz.
This is the first stage of the investigation in which the journalists have participated. On Monday 19 March 2001 the three were scheduled to appear before Presiding Judge Sonia Araneda, minister of the Santiago Appeals Court, who is in charge of the investigation.
The interrogation began at around 10:00 a.m. (local time) on 14 March. Photojournalist Muñoz was the first to give a statement to police, followed by Alvarado and Urrutia.
Because the matter is sub judice, Urrutia was not able to provide IPYS with a lot of detail about the process. However, he noted that the line of questioning was basically aimed at finding out how the journalists obtained the information that was published in the articles in question, and to which Errázuriz referred in his complaint.
During his conversation with IPYS, Urrutia remarked that “my intention was not to harm Errázuriz. My goal was to share with the public relevant information which has to do with Errázuriz’s business dealings. There was no double intent.”
The journalists testified before officers of the Fifth Investigative Department (Departamento Quinto de Investigaciones), the elite force of the civilian police, a body with high technical expertise. This department is in charge of investigations in cases overseen by Appeals Court ministers. It is overseeing the investigation that was ordered by Judge Araneda. The same department is investigating the case filed in February by Chilean Air Forces General Hernán Gabrielli against three former political prisoners for violating the LSIE (see IFEX alert of 15 February 2001); and the cases against former General Pinochet, overseen by Judge Juan Guzmán Tapia.
Alvarado, Urrutia and Muñoz are the accused parties in the case but their situation could worsen after they are questioned by Judge Araneda. Based on their testimony, the judge could decide to go ahead and try them.
Recommended Action
Send letters of support to:
Enrique Alvarado
Director of “El Metropolitano”
Javier Urrutia
Business editor of “El Metropolitano”
Mireya Muñoz
Photojournalist, “El Metropolitano”
E-mail: diario@elmetropolitano.cl
Send appeals expressing your concern to:
Francisco Javier Errázuriz
Senator of the Republic
Tel: +56 32 504 000, ext. 4483
Fax: +56 32 239 883
E-mail: ferrazu@senado.cl
Sonia Araneda
Judge of the Santiago Appeals Court
Tribunales de Justicia, Plaza Montt Varas s/n
Santiago de Chile
Tel: +56 2 671 5667
Send appeals to authorities:
– calling for a speedy modification of the laws that violate freedom of expression
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:
Víctor Barrueto
President of the Chamber of Deputees
E-mail: barrueto@congreso.cl
Andrés Zaldívar
President of the Senate
E-mail: zaldivar@congreso.cl
Claudio Huepe García
Minister Secretary General of the Government
E-mail: webmaster@segegob.cl
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
