Peru

(IPYS/IFEX) – On 15 October 1997, after more than five years, the “faceless courts” were officially disbanded. These tribunals, which dealt with terrorism charges, were made up of judges from diverse specializations, protected by a rigorous anonymity. In the next few days, according to statements from the Supreme Court of Peru, the redistribution of the […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – Journalist Eduardo Parado Samaniego, 28 years old, was killed in an ambush by Sendero Luminoso on 14 October 1997. Parado Samaniego was a radio journalist and had directed the news program `The world in 60 minutes’ on Radio Marginal in the district of San Martin de Pangoa, Satipo since 1993. He divided his […]

**Updates IFEX alerts as noted in text** (IPYS/IFEX) – (Updates IFEX alerts of 1 November, 25, 15 and 11 October 1996) On 14 October 1997, the Sixth Criminal Appeals Court of Lima (Sexta Sala Superior Penal de Apelaciones de Lima) unanimously cleared journalists Nicolas Lucar and Alamo Perez Luna of charges of aggravated defamation against […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – On 23 September 1997, having taken the first steps towards the creation of a Peruvian Press Council (Consejo de la Prensa Peruana), the print media who are members of the new organization publicly approved a work plan through which it will seek to support the development of democracy in the country and to […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – Investigations into phone tapping have advanced by 50%, assured ad hoc Public Prosecutor Victor Hugo Salvatierra on 16 September 1997, after receiving further proof of the tapping, contained in the “Plan Emilio-Proyecto Especial 12” and which was broadcast on 14 September on the Frecuencia Latina television program “Contrapunto” (see IFEX alert). He stated […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – At the request of brothers Samuel and Mendel Winter, police seized six rolls of film taken by Association Press (AP) photographer Ricardo Choy. (The courts recently granted the Winter brothers control of the Frecuencia Latina/Channel 2 television station; see IFEX alerts.) **For background to Frecuencia Latina/Canal 2 case, see IFEX alerts of 19 […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – On 15 September 1997, the Court of Public Law ruledin favour of giving control of the Frecuencia Latina/Canal 2 television station to the brothers Samuel and Mendel Winter. The court’s ruling found reasonable in all respects the request made by the brothers Winter, owners of 46 % of the shares in Frecuencia Latina/Canal […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – Journalist Guido Lombardi was detained on 11 September 1997 and taken to the Hall of Justice (Palacio de Justicia) to make a statement in regard to defamation charges filed against him. Lombardi was arrested at 10 am after leaving the office of Radio Programas del Peru, in Santa Beatriz (Cercado), to have breakfast […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – On 24 May 1997, IPYS reported that on 23 May the Supreme Court chamber specializing in tax and customs offences had ordered Ricardo Palma Michelsen detained in the ongoing tax evasion case against him. Palma is the managing director of the Radio Miraflores radio station. Judicial police detained Palma at 6:45 as he […]

Judge Manuel Encarnacion Toscano has allowed to be heard in court a US$ 100 million lawsuit by the president of Aero Continente, Fernando Zevallos, against the director of the television program “Revista Dominical”, Nicolas Lucar, and reporter Alamo Perez Luna for alleged defamation during the broadcast of two reports which linked Zevallos to drug trafficking […]

According to 14 September 1996 reports in the dailies “La Republica” and “El Comercio”, Minister of Defense General Tomas Castillo Meza made a veiled threat against press freedom on 13 September, when he went before Congress to explain intelligence reports leaked by the media. The reports revealed the intercepted radio communications of drug trafficker Demetrio […]

On 11 September 1996, Minister of Justice Carlos Hermoza Moya backed down and corrected statements that he had made the previous day in which he asked the Public Prosecutor’s Office to take measures to block the circulation of pornographic material. Hermoza had stated that the Office should block the sale in kiosks of erotic and […]

During a recent press conference, the President of the Congressional Defence Commission, Gilberto Siura, stated that he did not agree with the idea of putting in place controls on the media. He was referring to comments made on 25 August 1996 by the Bishop of the department of Ayacucho, Luis Cipriani, who criticised reports in […]

On 25 August 1996, Monsignor Luis Cipriani, Bishop of the department of Ayacucho, called for “mechanisms” to be put in place to control — “without hindering freedom of expression” — the media’s reporting. These mechanisms would be administered through Peru’s consumer protection agency INDECOPI and the federal Ombudsman. “News is a product,” (“La noticia es […]

On 1 August 1996, the Office of the President introduced a bill in Congress that would allow for the creation of an ad-hoc commission which would be in charge of reviewing the cases of Peruvians unjustly convicted of terrorism and treason. The commission would be made up of the Ombudsman of Peru, Dr Jorge Santisteban […]

In comments made during his appointment last week, the new President of Congress, Victor Joy Way, recognised the need for a free press in the democratic process in Peru. As well, he expressed his desire that the relationship between the media and Congress would lead to politicians always making available “valuable” information about the state […]