The judge Raúl Jesús Vega, of the 30th Liquidating Criminal Court of the Superior Court of Lima, condemned journalist Christopher Acosta to two years in prison suspended after the defamation complaint filed by Cesar Acuña for the publication of the book Silver as a court. Likewise, the ruling also concerns the editor Jerónimo Pimentel and the Penguin Random House publishing group.
Similarly, the arguments of the judge jesus They pointed out that the aforementioned work crossed the limits of freedom of expression, specifying a series of sentences that it considered defamatory. In the following lines, find out who is the magistrate who sentenced to the journalist Acosta.
Who is Judge Raúl Jesús Vega, who sentenced journalist Christopher Acosta?
Raúl Rodolfo Jesús Vega He is a magistrate who currently belongs to the 30 Liquidating Criminal Court of the Superior Court of Lima. In addition, He has studies in the subjects of Criminal Procedure Law, Criminal Law, among others.
YOU CAN SEE: Christopher Acosta: congressmen, journalists and other personalities support him after sentencing
Throughout his judicial career, he was appointed as Alternate Supernumerary Judge of the 51st Criminal Court – Lima, Alternate Supernumerary Judge of the 4th Criminal Court – Lima, Alternate Supernumerary Judge of the 58th Criminal Court – Lima and Alternate Supernumerary Judge of the 48th Criminal Court – Lima .
Silver as a court
In 2010, a video of Cesar Acuña’s political campaign to be reelected as mayor of Trujillo was released. It mentioned the phrase that years later would become the title of the journalist Christopher Acosta’s book: “silver like court.” In addition, it was indicated that his objective was to run for the presidency of Peru.
“We want to continue governing Trujillo, for that God gives us this opportunity. Later, I resign, they remain mayors and I go to the presidential campaign. We would have a local and regional government and even a president. That would already be the end. Silver as a court for you“Said Acuña.
YOU CAN SEE: Editorial of Acosta’s book: “We found no factual or legal support in the ruling issued”
On the other hand, the defamation complaint filed by the former presidential candidate is one of the most controversial cases that judge Raúl Rodolfo Jesús Vega has presided over.
Acosta after conviction for Acuna’s complaint: “Without words. I do not know what to say”
Journalist Christopher acosta showed his discomfort after learning that Judge Raúl Jesús Vega, of the 30th Liquidator Criminal Court of Lima, decided to sentence him to two years of suspended privative sentence as a result of the complaint filed by the leader of the Alliance for Progress, César Acuña, who accused having been defamed in the Silver book as a court.
Given the resolution, the journalist he spoke briefly through his Twitter account, channel through which the development of this trial was reported in recent months: “Without words. I do not know what to say”.
Journalist was sentenced to two years in suspended prison. This is how he reacted to what was resolved. Photo: Twitter capture
YOU CAN SEE: Acosta after conviction: “Judges cannot become journalistic editors”
Christopher Acosta’s lawyer after conviction: “We hope to reverse it in the second instance”
Lawyer Roberto Pereira, who is in charge of the journalist’s legal defense Christopher acosta, considered the sentence of two years in prison suspended against his patron as a “death stab at investigative journalism”, since set a negative precedent against free speech in the country. He trusts that in a second instance the judge’s decision can be reversed Raul Jesus Vega.
Ombudsman rejects judgment against Christopher Acosta for affecting freedom of expression
After the ruling against the journalist Christopher acosta for the case Silver as a court, the Ombudsman’s Office condemned the use of justice as a means of intimidation and exercise of coercion of freedom of expression.
Through its social networks, the Ombudsman urged that the “International standards”. “In the case of the journalist Christopher Acosta, we have condemned the use of criminal justice as a mechanism to affect the freedom of expression and demanded that international standards be respected in the case against him “, reads his Twitter account.
Journalist Christopher Acosta assures that he will continue investigating César Acuña and other politicians
In an interview for Latina, the author of the book Plata como cancha, Christopher acosta, affirmed that, “in no way”, the sentence of two years of suspended deprivation against him for the presumed crime of defamation towards César Acuña, will prevent the publication from continuing to be distributed nor will it affect his journalistic work. In this sense, the journalist specified that he will continue investigating characters from “all the shops and political colors.”
“Acuña’s defense has never gone to distort the veracity of the sentences (of the book) that third parties say about him. What his lawyer said is that the fact that the book contains them and that I do not prove them was defamatory. And the judge has taken this argument completely without doing any kind of measure, “Acosta highlighted in conversation with Latina.
The book Silver as court gathers certain testimonies that reveal the alleged visits of César Acuña to the SIN. Photo: composition Jazmin Ceras / La República
Jerónimo Pimental on sentence: “It would be interesting to know the position of the journalism faculty of the César Vallejo University”
After exhorting “all institutions” that seek to safeguard the fundamental rights of journalists to speak in this case, at the national and international level, Jerónimo Pimentel, CEO of the publishing house Penguin Random House Peru and sentenced for alleged defamation against César Acuña, he told La República that “it would be interesting to know what the position of the César Vallejo University journalism faculty is” or of the current rector Beatriz Merino.
“I believe that this will be corrected in the second instance and I believe that it will be valued for what it is, an emblematic case in which an attempt is being made to intimidate a journalist and a publisher to stop doing journalism and stop publishing journalism, in the case of the publisher. I am sure that the Peruvian Judicial Power will not allow it ”, highlighted Pimentel in conversation with this medium.
Jerónimo Pimentel appealed the ruling that sentenced him for the César Acuña case. Photo: broadcast.
