PARAGUAY-I
WHEREAS
in Paraguay the justice system is manipulated by the government to repress journalists and media outlets that have a critical attitude toward it, resorting to the criminal code and the code of criminal procedure
WHEREAS
some journalists are under judicial restraints against moving freely and have to ask a courts permission whenever they need to travel outside the country
WHEREAS
some journalists and on-journalists are restricted from making public statements, contrary to the right to freedom of expression enshrined
in the National Constitution
WHEREAS
these restrictions are attempts by the government to keep the press muzzled and controlled when it tries to investigate possible irregularities in the governments administration
WHEREAS
Principle 4 of the Declaration of Chapultepec states that, freedom of expression and of the press are severely limited by murder, terrorism, kidnapping, intimidation, the unjust imprisonment of journalists, the destruction of facilities, violence of any kind and im-punity for perpetrators; such acts must be investigated promptly and punished harshly, Principle 5 states that, prior censorship, restrictions on the circulation of the media or dissemination of their reports, forced publication of information, the imposition of obstacles to the free flow of news, and restrictions on the activities and movements of journalists directly contradict freedom of the press, Principle 10 states that, no news medium nor journalist may be punished for publishing the truth or criticizing or denouncing the government
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES
to condemn and repudiate these actions as threatening to freedom of expression and the press
ask Paraguayan authorities to respect the division of powers, end these reported practices and punish those who are responsible.
next events
Madrid, Spain