(PFC/IFEX) – In June 2003, Senator José Antonio Hagenbeck launched a criminal action for defamation against “the person or persons responsible” for having reported that he caused a disturbance in a bar in the city of Huejutla de Reyes, Hidalgo, while in a drunken state. The complaint was brought before the State Attorney General’s Office. […]
(PFC/IFEX) – In June 2003, Senator José Antonio Hagenbeck launched a criminal action for defamation against “the person or persons responsible” for having reported that he caused a disturbance in a bar in the city of Huejutla de Reyes, Hidalgo, while in a drunken state.
The complaint was brought before the State Attorney General’s Office. The main accusation is against the Huejutla-based newspaper “Zu Noticia”, for having reported that Senator Hagenbeck, of the Partido Acción National (PAN) party, was involved in a dispute with a local politician’s son, who threatened him with a hand-gun. Six months after the incident, the senator denied the story in a press conference, saying reporters had confused him with another person.
According to information provided to PFC by the Agencia de Noticias Confidencial (ANC) news agency, several other newspapers and journalists who also published articles on the incident were named in Senator Hagenbeck’s complaint. TPEI include Federico La Mont of the Organización Editorial Mexicana, Adrián Trejo of “El Economista”, Roberto Ramos Valencia of Ovaciones, Rafael Medina González of “Excelsior” and the newspapers “El Heraldo”, “Reforma”, “El Universal”, “Milenio” and “La Crónica”.
This is the latest in a series of confrontations between political party leaders and journalists or media outlets. On 29 May, legislator Herlindo Bautista Sánchez presented a list of journalists he alleged to be “swindlers” to the Hidalgo state legislature. He also submitted a document, prepared by his colleague María Martín Barba, in which he accused Hidalgo media outlets of having “sold out” and being “in the service of the government” (see IFEX alert of 12 June 2003).
On 15 June, Jaime Vázquez Castillo, vice-coordinator of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) party in San Lazaro, described journalists who criticise Congress and question excessive expenses as being “uninformed.” Several weeks ago, in Querétaro, PAN President Luis Felipe Bravo Mena accused the press of trying to “totally demolish” the new wave of governments and of supporting the “old order.” “They are backward, conservative and want to return to the past,” the politician said. In other incidents in Querétaro, in April, supporters of the Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD) party shoved and assaulted journalists. In May, Pedro Goytia Robles, PRD state president in Zacatecas, punched Misael Lozano, director of the biweekly “Siglo 21” (see IFEX alert of 29 April 2003).
For PFC’s protest letter to Hidalgo Attorney General Juan Manuel Sepúlveda and additional information on the case, see:
http://portal-pfc.org/perseguidos/2003/082.html
