(CPJ/IFEX) – On 28 December 1998 Panamanian police raided the offices of “La Prensa”, Panama’s leading daily, and attempted to arrest Herasto Reyes, an investigative reporter with the paper. His colleagues surrounded Reyes to shield him. One of them, investigative reporter and CPJ International Press Freedom Award recipient Gustavo Gorriti, denounced the incident as a […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – On 28 December 1998 Panamanian police raided the offices of “La
Prensa”, Panama’s leading daily, and attempted to arrest Herasto Reyes, an
investigative reporter with the paper. His colleagues surrounded Reyes to
shield him. One of them, investigative reporter and CPJ International Press
Freedom Award recipient Gustavo Gorriti, denounced the incident as a
“blatant violation of due process.”
As word spread of the police action, journalists from around the city came
to “La Prensa”‘s offices to stand in solidarity with Reyes. “La Prensa”‘s
lawyer also arrived to protest the unlawful arrest. Blocked by the assembled
journalists from access to Reyes, the police finally departed, leaving a
written order for Reyes’ arrest. The document said that police had orders to
seize Reyes and take him to the prosecutor’s office in connection with
criminal defamation charges pending against the journalist for defaming
President Ernesto Perez Balladares.
Background Information
In August 1998, “La Prensa” published an interview Reyes conducted with a
former civilian member of the military dictatorship of Manuel Noriega. The
former official told Reyes that Panama’s president Perez Balladares, who had
been a government official at the time, had tried to force him to cover up
major financial malfeasance. In September, following the publication of the
interview, Attorney General Jose Antonio Sossa charged Reyes with criminal
defamation of the president. The case is pending.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
process
legislation
to decriminalize defamation and eliminate Panama’s 1978 Gag Law (Ley
Mordaza),
enacted under the military dictatorship
report on government officials, particularly those alleged to be involved in
wrongdoing
Appeals To
Ernesto Pérez Balladares
President of the Republic of Panama
Fax: +507 227 0073Mariela Sagel
Minister of Government and Justice
Fax: +507 212 2126José Antonio Sossa
Attorney General
Fax: +507 227 5249Javier Chérigo
Ninth Attorney of the First Circuit
Fax: +507 269 7969In addition, please send copies of appeals to your country’s ambassador to
Panama, as well as to the Panamanian ambassador in your country.In the United States write to:
Simon Ferro
Ambassador of the United States to Panama
Fax: +507 227 1964Eloy Alfaro De Alba
Ambassador of Panama to the United States
Fax: +1 202 483 8413In Canada write to:
Carlos Ozores
Ambassador of Panama to Canada
Fax: + 1 613 236 5775
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
