Articles by Instituto Prensa y Sociedad
Former editor who denounced governmental control of sensationalist daily kidnapped
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 27 October 1999, Hugo Borjas, the former editor of the “El Chato” daily’s police news, was kidnapped by unknown individuals who forced him to enter an automobile and threatened him with a knife to “be quiet”. Borjas’ colleague, Richard Molinares, informed IPYS of the incident. The threats apparently alluded to Borjas’ recent […]
Journalist sentenced
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 18 October 1999, journalist Angel Durán Leon received a one year suspended prison sentence and a fine of 5,000 nuevos soles (approx. US$1,450) in civil damages payable to Vice-Minister of the Presidency Fredy Moreno Neglia, who had accused him of contempt. Durán Leon is a journalist with Radio Quassar in Huaraz, Ancash […]
Prosecutor asks for four year prison sentence for Baruch Ivcher
(IPYS/IFEX) – Hilda Valladares Alarcon, prosecutor of taxation and customs offences, has recommended that Baruch Ivcher be sentenced to four years in prison. Ivcher, a Peruvian-Israeli businessman, has been charged with mismanaging the Frecuencia Latina – Channel 2 television station by having misused capital resources and committed fraud causing harm to the company. **Updates IFEX […]
Director of daily receives death threat
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 20 October 1999, the director of the daily “El Tío”, José Olaya, received a death threat via a telephone call. According to the 21 October edition of “El Tío”, the female caller insulted Olaya before threatening him. The threatening call, which was received by a security officer in the newspaper’s editorial office, […]
Newspaper’s phone lines jammed by dozens of offensive faxes
(IPYS/IFEX) – Between 3:00 p.m. (local time) on Monday 18 October 1999 and 2:00 a.m. the following morning, more than 150 faxes with the same insulting content were received at “La República” newspaper’s offices. The faxes were directed against the newspaper’s director, Gustavo Mohme Llona, and jammed all of the office’s four phone lines. **For […]
Appeals Court confirms absolution of alleged defamer of independent journalists
(IPYS/IFEX) – The Appeals Court of the Lima Supreme Court has upheld the ruling that absolved the legal representative of the Association for the Defense of the Truth (Asociacion Pro Defensa de la Verdad, APRODEV), Héctor Ricardo Faisal. A charge for harmful defamation was filed against Faisal by the managing editor of the “La República” […]
Journalists accused of supporting terrorism released
(IPYS/IFEX) -On the morning of 5 October 1999, Radio Palmera journalist Fernando Mejía Cornelio, station manager Lennin Ruiz Dávila, and Radio Central journalist Alberto Medina were detained in the province of Bellavista, department of San Martín. All three were accused of speaking out in support of terrorism after they broadcast a manifesto of the Túpac […]
USA House of Representatives concerned over state of Peruvian press, Ivcher case
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 4 October 1999, the USA House of Representatives passed House Resolution 57, expressing its concern over the Peruvian judicial and electoral institutions’ lack of independence and over the “strong intimidation” of journalists in Peru. **For background on the Ivcher case, see IFEX alerts of 12 August, 16 July, 14 July, 11 June, […]