Two journalists sentenced on criminal defamation charges

December 13, 2006
Posted: December 27, 2006

Óscar Olavarría Saldaña, El Oriente
Pedro Salazar Angulo, El Oriente

LEGAL ACTION

The Maynas Sixth Criminal Court in the northeastern province of Loreto sentenced Salazar, director of the local daily El Oriente, and Olavarría, editorial director for the Iquitos region, to a suspended one-year prison term, and fined them 1,500 Nuevos Soles (US$470) on criminal defamation charges, according to the Peruvian press.

The case stems from a 1990 rape accusation against the Loreto District Attorney, Luis Muñoz Rodríguez, which resulted in his ouster. According to Salazar, when a special Public Ministry resolution restituted Muñoz in 2004, El Oriente published an article referring to the rape accusation against the public official. Following its publication, Muñoz presented criminal defamation charges against both journalists, Salazar told CPJ.

Salazar said that he and Olavarría appealed the case to the Loreto Superior Court.