(PFC/IFEX) – PFC has appealed to Judge Felipe Serrano Cordero, chair of Cuenca’s Fifth Civil Court, to dismiss a defamation case that was brought against Diego Orellana and Jaime Cedillo, assistant editor and director/editor of the magazine “El Observador”, respectively. In June 2003, the city’s mayor, Fernando Cordero Cueva, launched the legal action against Orellana […]
(PFC/IFEX) – PFC has appealed to Judge Felipe Serrano Cordero, chair of Cuenca’s Fifth Civil Court, to dismiss a defamation case that was brought against Diego Orellana and Jaime Cedillo, assistant editor and director/editor of the magazine “El Observador”, respectively.
In June 2003, the city’s mayor, Fernando Cordero Cueva, launched the legal action against Orellana and Cedillo, alleging that he was being “persecuted” and was the victim of “an ongoing harassment campaign” with the objective of “discrediting and defaming him, affecting his good name as an elected public official.” Cordero Cueva is demanding US$500,000 in compensation.
In his complaint, Cordero Cueva cited as examples of the alleged offences against his honour articles written by Orellana entitled, “The delights of power”, “You will know them by their deeds”, “The plagues that whip Cuenca” and “Corruption in the municipal transit system”. The articles reported on and criticised corruption in Cuenca’s municipal administration.
In a 7 January 2004 letter to Judge Serrano Cordero, PFC noted that “government officials cannot, under the pretext of protecting their honour, attempt to restrict freedom of expression. On the contrary, when officials are questioned, they should provide complete and clear explanations of their actions since it is their duty to act in a transparent manner.”
For the letter to Judge Serrano Cordero and additional information on the case, see:
http://www.portal-pfc.org/perseguidos/2003/162.html
