Media prohibited from reporting on municipal elections

(IFJ/IFEX) – According to information distributed by the Brazilian National Newspaper Association (Asociacion Nacional de Diarios de Brasil, ANJ), Judge Adair Longhini of the First Electoral Zone of Río Branco, prohibited the press from the department of Acre from publishing any information on the electoral campaigns of candidates in the upcoming municipal elections. Judge Longhini […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – According to information distributed by the Brazilian National Newspaper Association (Asociacion Nacional de Diarios de Brasil, ANJ), Judge Adair Longhini of the First Electoral Zone of Río Branco, prohibited the press from the department of Acre from publishing any information on the electoral campaigns of candidates in the upcoming municipal elections.

Judge Longhini prohibited newspapers, radio and television stations from reporting on the municipal elections, arguing that such reports could easily become electoral propaganda. Judge Longhini and electoral official Alvaro Pereira informed media representatives of the ban, which extends to investigative articles, interviews and editorial pieces.

The ANJ stated that the judge’s action “is a form of censorship that cannot be substantiated by referring to the Constitution on matters of the media, and is a restriction of press freedom, which the Constitution guarantees”.

The incident will be mentioned in the “ANJ’s Annual Report on Press Freedom in Brazil”, as part of “ANJ’s Press Freedom Defense Programme”, and will be communicated to the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). Journalist Paulo Cabral, ANJ president, is also the vice-president of the IAPA’s Commission for Freedom of the Press and Information in Brazil.

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