30 September 2011
Alert
"El Universo" threatened with two more lawsuits
Incident details
Legal action
El Universo, Newspaper
(Fundamedios/IFEX) - The "El Universo" newspaper could face two more lawsuits as "contributing author". On 24 September 2011, President Rafael Correa announced during his "239 Enlace Ciudadano" program, broadcast from the US, that the newspaper may face a new lawsuit for having published a letter written by Cynthia Viteri, a member of parliament for the movement Madera de Guerrero, in response to some statements uttered by Correa against her mother, Judge María Leonor Jiménez, during a previous program.
According to the chief of state, the newspaper's owners should not have permitted the publication of the letter in the paper's 12 September issue because, it allegedly "contained insults". Correa suggested that they could be brought to trial again "for allowing insults and statements damaging to one's honour." "Messrs Pérez, stop being so childish, learn from what happened to you. You can be sued again as contributing figures for that kind of publication. You should be ethical and professional," the president said.
Concerning another possible lawsuit, on 23 September, César Pérez, assistant director of "El Universo", confirmed that the paper is facing a demand from the district attorney requesting that it disclose the name of the author of a piece which included statements by Ernesto Rey Cantor, former ad hoc judge of the Inter-American Court on Human Rights. The article referred to a lawsuit for slander filed by the president of the National Financial Corporation, Camilo Samán, in 2009, against the newspaper's former opinion editor, Emilio Palacio.
On 15 August, "El Universo" published an interview with Cantor entitled: "Correa is behind the policy against the media". In it, Cantor explained, among other things, that the three-year prison sentence and US$10 thousand fine against Palacio "was a judicial monstrosity."
Pérez stated during an interview for a Guayaquil radio station, that even though the district attorney's request "is not a lawsuit," not only is there a request for the name of person who wrote the piece, but also the assertion that "the editor, director, senior management, general manager would have contributed to committing a crime of hatred and slander".
Meanwhile, lawyer Joffre Campaña, counsel for "El Universo" and its directors, called the district attorney's request a new attack on freedom of expression.
Campaña explained that a previous exhibition is a motion requested by the prosecutor when dealing with violations related to publishing. It is worth noting that a court has ratified in the second instance the sentence issued by a temporary judge, who called for a three-year prison sentence for Palacio, and "El Universo"'s directors, Carlos, César and Nicolás Pérez, as well as the payment of US$40 million in the defamation lawsuit filed by President Correa.
Source:
members working in this country
1
- Most covered free expression issues in this country
-
Journalists say they will be wary until Moreno fulfills his promises to scale back the Communications Law and scrap the regulator that enforced it.
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
14 July 2018
-
Politically motivated takedown requests for alleged copyright violations targeted online news outlets and the websites of human rights organizations
Freedom House
16 November 2017
-
Since its establishment under the 2013 Communications Law, Ecuador’s media regulator, known as SUPERCOM, has issued sanctions in more than 300 cases against media outlets.
Freedom House
24 April 2016
-
Hacking, trolling, and threats targeting govement opponents follow President Correa's Twitter campaign against online critics
Freedom House
31 October 2015
-
Ranked 140th in annual global media freedom report
Freedom House
1 May 2015
-
Ranked 134th in annual global media freedom report
Freedom House
2 May 2014
-
Increased restrictions on media follow passing of new Communications Law
Freedom House
1 May 2014
-
Private media firm Secom takes over Freedom of Expression NGOs under Executive Decree 16
Inter American Press Association
7 April 2014
-
"New communications law gives authorities power to censor, sanction press"
Committee to Protect Journalists
11 February 2014
-
Ranked 95th in annual press freedom index
Reporters Without Borders
31 January 2014
-
Arbitrary prosecutions and censorship permitted under 2013 Communications Law
Human Rights Watch
22 January 2014
-
International Press Institute
11 July 2013
-
Fundamedios - Andean Foundation for Media Observation & Study
31 May 2013
At this point, would publish: "Home page"
At this point, would publish: "IFEX members urge President to withdraw US$80 million lawsuit against paper"
At this point, would publish: "Government media outlets attempt to link founder and owner of newspaper to corrupt businesses"
At this point, would publish: "President requests more than 150 reports about directors and feature writer in connection with lawsuit against newspaper"
At this point, would publish: "Columnist resigns in attempt to stop president's lawsuit against paper"
At this point, would publish: "Newspaper directors, writer sentenced to three years in prison, US$40 million fine"
At this point, would publish: "Cyber activists hack municipality's webpage in protest against government's attacks on free expression"
At this point, would publish: "Defence lawyers question judge's independence in case against newspaper; opinion editor faces new lawsuit"
At this point, would publish: "Faced with ongoing legal action, journalist decides to leave the country"
At this point, would publish: "President's attorney asks public prosecutor to initiate additional legal action against "El Universo" newspaper"
At this point, would publish: "Tribunal upholds sentencing of newspaper, its directors and former feature writer on defamation charge"
At this point, would publish: "Former columnist faces second lawsuit for slander"
At this point, would publish: "Se denuncia que sentencia contra diario fue elaborada por abogados del presidente de la república"
At this point, would publish: "National Court of Justice ratifies three-year prison sentence against Emilio Palacio"
At this point, would publish: "President demands US$80 million in case against newspaper, directors and feature writer"
IFEX is a global network of committed organisations working to defend and promote free expression.
Permission is granted for material on this website to be reproduced or republished in whole or in part provided the source member and/or IFEX is cited with a link to the original item.