EL SALVADOR

57th General Assembly Washington, DC October 12 – 16, 2001 EL SALVADOR WHEREAS the Office of the Prosecutor-General threatens public officials who provide information to the press WHEREAS such practice inhibits and intimidates present and future sources of information on irregularities in matters of public interest occurring within official institutions WHEREAS such practice impedes the free flow of information on matters of public interest WHEREAS the provisions of Article 324 of the Criminal Code jeopardize free access to sources of information by journalists and threaten the confidentiality of sources WHEREAS Principle 3 of the Declaration of Chapultepec states “The authorities must be compelled by law to make available in a timely and reasonable manner the information generated by the public sector. No journalist may be forced to reveal his or her sources of information” THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES to condemn the action of the Office of the Prosecutor-General for impeding the free flow of information to the media from government entities on matters of public interest, and call upon it to cease immediately its harassment of sources of information to urge El Salvador’s legislature to repeal Article 324 of the Criminal Code, inasmuch as it creates impediments to freedom of the press.