Journalists assaulted in Panama City

(IFJ/IFEX) – On Monday 2 October 2000, editor Mariella Patriau Hildebrandt and photojournalist Adriana Navarro de Vivanco, from the “Liberacion” daily in Lima, were assaulted by Jaime Alemán in Panama City, Panama, while they were trying to interview him. Alemán is one of the lawyers in Panama for Vladimiro Montesinos – a former advisor to […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – On Monday 2 October 2000, editor Mariella Patriau Hildebrandt and photojournalist Adriana Navarro de Vivanco, from the “Liberacion” daily in Lima, were assaulted by Jaime Alemán in Panama City, Panama, while they were trying to interview him. Alemán is one of the lawyers in Panama for Vladimiro Montesinos – a former advisor to President Fujimori.

The journalists were threatened by Alemán and warned to leave his legal office, even though they had previously arranged an appointment. “I am not going to talk to them. Either they leave, or I am going to call the police right now so that they will take them away. They are not on their own turf now,” were the lawyer’s statements directed at Patriau and Navarro.

Navarro took Alemán’s photograph, and his response was, “Take their camera away, they have taken a photo of me!”. The journalists were immediately surrounded by six individuals who managed to wrestle the camera away from them by force. The camera was later returned to the journalists but with the flash torn off, part of the camera body broken and the film missing.

The journalists filed a complaint with the Bellavista Magistrate’s Office, in Panama City, demanding that they be reimbursed for the cost of repairing the equipment.

Recommended Action

Appeals To

Dr. Mireya Moscoso
President of the Republic of Panama
Presidency of the Republic
Panama 1, Republic of Panama
Tel: +507 227 9600
Fax: +507 227 0073
E-mail: ofasin@presidencia.gob.pa

Dr. Italo Isaac Antinori Bolaños
Ombudsman
E-mail: defensor@defensoriadelpueblo.gob.pa

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.