El Salvador

WHEREAS a juvenile court judge has ordered an investigation of the newspaper La Prensa Gráfica for having published the face and name of a minor aged 17, photographed at the moment he killed another minor WHEREAS the photos and report were reproduced by a large number of graphical and electronic media in El Salvador WHEREAS public officials and members of the judiciary of this country have spoken publicly about the case, raising doubts about the impartiality of the proceedings WHEREAS amid the legal proceedings there have been intimidating public demonstrations against the newspaper’s journalists THE IAPA MIDYEAR MEETING RESOLVES to urge the members of the El Salvador judiciary to respect due process in this case, avoiding attitudes that could be regarded as acts of pre-judgment or intimidation of the press to call for the El Salvador judiciary to see that in these cases there are observed the criteria that there be no arbitrary action, that there be equality under the law and that the people’s right to be informed be upheld.