(PERIODISTAS/IFEX) – As of 13 November 2001, the newspapers “Zero Hora” and “Diário Gaúcho”, published in Rio Grande do Sul state, are prohibited by a provisional ruling from publishing an interview with the former treasurer of the Workers’ Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores, PT), which was carried out by “Diário Gaúcho” journalists in May. The measure […]
(PERIODISTAS/IFEX) – As of 13 November 2001, the newspapers “Zero Hora” and “Diário Gaúcho”, published in Rio Grande do Sul state, are prohibited by a provisional ruling from publishing an interview with the former treasurer of the Workers’ Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores, PT), which was carried out by “Diário Gaúcho” journalists in May. The measure was requested by the president of the Citizens’ Insurance Club (Club de Seguros de la Ciudadanía), Diogenes de Oliveira, and the director of the Daniel Verçosa organisation, both of whom are mentioned in the interview.
Judge Régis de Oliveira Montenegro Barbosa, of the Porto Alegre Department (Rio Grande do Sul), pronounced the ruling. The network Rede Brasil Sul (RBS), which includes “Zero Hora”, “Diário Gaúcho” and other media outlets, reported that it had decided to refrain from publishing the interview with former treasurer Jairo Carneiro in its entirety until its contents had been distributed by the Legislative Assembly’s Parliamentary Investigation Committee on Public Security (Comision Parlamentaria de Investigacion, CPI, de Seguridad Pública de la Asamblea Legislativa). Similarly to the newspapers, the CPI is also facing a measure prohibiting it from releasing the recorded interview.
Carneiro first spoke with the editor of “Diário Gaúcho”‘s police section, Plínio Nunes, and journalist Carlos Henrique Nunes on 17 May. During the interview, Carneiro alleged that the PT and well-known individuals such as De Oliveira and Verçosa were involved in corruption.
“As a precaution against subsequent denials, the conversation was recorded. A summary of the main points (but not the entire transcript of the interview) was published by ‘Zero Hora’ on 27 June. Given the seriousness of Jairo Carneiro’s statements, a copy of the recording was given to the CPI rapporteur, Member of Parliament for the Democratic Workers Pary (Partido Democrático dos Trabalhadores) Vieira da Cunha, on 22 June,” “Zero Hora” reported.
In a related incident, in June, the Rio Grande do Sul state government, led by the PT, discredited journalist Luis Milman and pressured the current affairs magazine “IstoÉ” to stop the publication of an article that detailed irregularities committed by the state government in connection with games of chance (see IFEX alert of 10 August 2001).
Representatives of the media affected by the prohibition imposed by Judge De Oliveira Montenegro filed a grievance (“agravio de instrumento”). The National Newspapers Association (Asociacion Nacional de Periodicos, ANJ) expressed the hope that the higher legal authorities would reverse the ruling, which it saw as a “clear case of prior censorship” and a “prohibition to distribute a journalistic report of obvious public interest.”
