The National Court of Justice of Ecuador on Wednesday upheld a libel judgment, a 40 million dollar fine and 3-year prison sentences against El Universo and its officers. In a statement, WAN-IFRA said: "the use of excessive fines and jail sentences violates international standards freedom of expression. President Rafael Correa and his government have made these practices a political tool through which to attack political enemies, intimidate any critical voice and control the public debate."
The origin of the claim was an article critical of the President entitled "Stop the lies" of February 6, 2011, written by the newspaper’s former opinion editor, Emilio Palacio. The journalist is currently exiled in the United States following his sentence of three years in prison in December 2011.
In another case, a regional civil court sentenced journalists Juan Carlos Calderón and Christian Zurita on 6 February to pay 1 million dollars each in moral damages to the President, following the publication of an article on cases of official corruption and alleged knowledge of it by the president.
"The lawsuits against journalists and the aggressiveness of President Correa against the profession have strongly damaged the international image of Ecuador", said the WAN-IFRA statement. "The severity of claims, the series of irregularities that have characterized both lawsuits, and the judgments in favor of President Correa, ignore all democratic principle of freedom of expression, tolerance and separation of powers."
WAN-IFRA reiterated its call to President Rafael Correa to "withdraw the lawsuit against the newspaper, its directors and its opinion editor, Emilio Palacio, as well as claims against Juan Carlos Calderón and Christian Zurita."
For more information, see the WAN-IFRA recent report on the situation of press freedom in Ecuador.
