The journalist from the portal La Encerrona requested information on the type and amount of weapons used by the Armed Forces. Following the criticism, the Ministry of Defense gave up taking legal action.
He Joint Command of the Armed Forces of Peru (CCFFAA) threatened to take legal action against a journalist from the newspaper portal La Encerrona, after he requested, through the Transparency Law, information about the deaths in the regions of Ayacucho, Apurímac and Junín within the framework of the protests in the country.
This is the journalist Ernesto Cabral, who requested the type and amount of weapons and ammunition used in those regions. In this regard, the FF. AA. They denied the request, so the journalist appealed to the Transparency Tribunal, alleging that local and international entities have described these cases as human rights violations.
Protests continue to be registered in the interior of the country.
In its response to the Transparency Tribunal, the Joint Command of the FF. AA. He said that the reporter is damaging the image of the institution and, for this reason, he has asked the attorney of the Ministry of Defense to evaluate the initiation of legal actions against the journalist.
“These statements are not only harmful to the institutional image of the Armed forces; but it also goes against the presumption of innocence, which must be evaluated by the corresponding authorities for legal administrative actions and brought to the attention of the public prosecutor of the Ministry of Defense in order to evaluate initiating legal actions,” says the response of the CCFFAA.
However, the Ministry of Justice agreed with the journalist and ordered the FF. AA. provide required information. Among its arguments, the Court explains that the request is linked to violations of human rights.
Ministry of Defense backs down
As reported The Encerrona Through a tweet, the Ministry of Defence contacted the production of the online newscast to assure them that they will not take any action against the journalist Ernesto Cabral.
“They have just contacted us from the Defense sector to make sure that no complaint against journalists is going to be launched. They have guaranteed us respect for freedom of expression. We will insist on requesting access to public information,” the publication reads. .
