These situations raise alarm throughout the journalistic community and pose a risk to the public’s right to be informed.
Miami (December 31, 2025) – The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) expresses deep concern over the escalation of judicial actions in Mexico that could constitute a form of intimidation and criminalization of journalists in the exercise of their reporting duties, representing a troubling trend for freedom of freedom of expression in the region.
In recent days, journalist Rodolfo Ruiz, director of the news outlet e-Consulta, was ordered to stand trial for alleged money laundering in the state of Puebla, in a process marked by allegations of judicial irregularities and questions regarding the strength of the accusations, according to press reports.
Likewise, in the state of Veracruz, journalist Rafael León Segovia was charged with the crimes of concealment by aiding and offenses against public security institutions, in connection with his journalistic coverage. Freedom of expression organizations have warned that this case sets a dangerous precedent that could inhibit journalistic work. Veracruz Attorney General Lizbeth Aurelia Jiménez Aguirre stated that the charge of “terrorism,” initially reported, was not included. As a precautionary measure, Segovia was placed under house arrest for one year.
The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is monitoring the case and urged authorities to respect judicial guarantees and due process through a statement on the social media platform X.
These situations, in which the criminal justice system is used against journalists for acts allegedly linked to their professional activities, raise alarm throughout the journalistic community and pose a risk to the public’s right to be informed.
IAPA President Pierre Manigault said that “we observe with concern cases that tend to use the criminal justice system as a mechanism of pressure against journalists for the content of their reporting. Freedom of the press is a pillar of democratic societies, and no judicial accusation should become an instrument to silence critical or uncomfortable voices,” said Manigault, chairman of the Evening Post Publishing Inc. group in Charleston, South Carolina, United States.
For her part, Martha Ramos, chair of the IAPA Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, urged authorities “to strictly respect due process, ensure transparent, fair trials fully in accordance with the law, and uphold the presumption of innocence and the right to a full defense. Criminal liability must never be used disproportionately against those who report and expose matters of public interest,” added Ramos, editorial director of the Organización Editorial Mexicana (OEM).
In its most recent report on press freedom in Mexico, the IAPA warned about the use of “judicial instruments” to limit criticism. “Judicial harassment has been solidified as one of the main mechanisms of censorship. Governors, legislators, and officials have used figures such as “gender-based political violence” and defamation lawsuits to suppress criticism. Cases in the states of Campeche and Sonora were the most prominent. Still, sanctions were also recorded in Veracruz, Nuevo León, Coahuila, and Tamaulipas, affecting established journalists who were active citizens on social media,” the report states.
The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.