WHEREAS two journalists have been murdered this year as a consequence of their work, and several others have received death threats
WHEREAS two journalists have been murdered this year as a consequence of their work, and several others have received death threats
WHEREAS President Dina Boluarte’s silence toward the media, her rejection of requests for public information, and the constant harassment of journalists are among the restrictions the press currently faces
WHEREAS Congress continues its attempts to impose gag measures through new laws and legislative changes, such as the amnesty law favoring human rights violators, and the proposal to debate the so-called “gag law,” which seeks to expand prison sentences and defamation penalties against journalists, among other actions
WHEREAS the Office of the Attorney General has continued its policy of demanding that journalists reveal their sources of information and has opened investigations against some of them for alleged criminal association
WHEREAS the Declaration of Chapultepec, in its first principle, states: “No people or society can be free without freedom of expression and of the press. The exercise of this freedom is not something authorities grant, it is an inalienable right of the people” and that in its sixth article it affirms: “The media and journalists should neither be discriminated against nor favored because of what they write or say.”
THE 81st GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES
To urge the State to investigate the murders of the two journalists killed this year and to ensure that justice follows its due course
To urge the government to guarantee access to public information, strictly comply with the Transparency Law, and eliminate bureaucratic barriers and arbitrary practices that block information requests
To demand an end to the harassment and criminalization of journalism
To reject the use of stigmatizing discourse aimed at discrediting the press
To reject any attempt at legislative gag measures and to call for the withdrawal of restrictive bills, as well as to respect the independence of journalism by avoiding the use of punitive legislation to silence criticism
To reject impunity laws such as amnesty that benefit members of the security forces and self-defense committees responsible for serious human rights violations, as these norms contradict the country’s international obligations
To demand that the Office of the Attorney General cease the criminalization of journalism through arbitrary investigations against journalists and media outlets for alleged “illicit association,” “harassment,” or “surveillance,” and to respect the confidentiality of information sources, in accordance with international standards on press freedom.
