Journalist David Vexelman Fleishman was covering a protest against the nomination of an APRA party presidential candidate.
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 5 November 2010, David Vexelman Fleishman, a photojournalist for the weekly paper “Hildebrandt en sus trece”, was attacked by a supporter of the ruling party, Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana (APRA). The journalist was covering a protest against the nomination of Mercedes Aráoz as APRA’s presidential candidate, outside the party’s headquarters in downtown Lima, the Peruvian capital.
According to the reporter, he was taking pictures of the protest when his attacker – who came out of the party’s headquarters – called his name from behind him. When the photographer turned around, the man sprayed his face with pepper spray while insulting him at the same time.
The journalist’s reaction to the spray was so strong that he had to be rushed to a local hospital.
IPYS condemns this violent act against a journalist while he was legitimately exercising his profession. IPYS also demands that APRA’s leadership sanction the assailant.
