(IPYS/IFEX) – On 25 January 2007, the Regional Electoral Tribunal (TRE) of Mato Grosso do Sul state, in western Brazil, prohibited the newspaper “Correio do Estado” from publishing any articles or photographs of André Puccinelli Jr., son of the region’s governor, André Puccinelli, on pain of being fined US$25,000 per day. Judge Oswaldo Rodrigues de […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 25 January 2007, the Regional Electoral Tribunal (TRE) of Mato Grosso do Sul state, in western Brazil, prohibited the newspaper “Correio do Estado” from publishing any articles or photographs of André Puccinelli Jr., son of the region’s governor, André Puccinelli, on pain of being fined US$25,000 per day.
Judge Oswaldo Rodrigues de Melo’s ruling came after the newspaper published a report about Puccinelli Jr. in which reference was made to an investigation being led by the Federal Police for an alleged electoral crime; Puccinelli has been charged with falsely accusing candidate Semy Ferraz, his father’s political rival, of buying votes in order to win the Mato Grosso do Sul state elections in 2006.
The newspaper’s political editor, Adilson Trindade, stated that the newspaper has already initiated an appeal of the judge’s ruling.
This alert was prepared by IPYS with information provided by the Brazilian Investigative Journalism Association (Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo, ABRAJI).
