The European Court of Human Rights issued a historic sentence on June 1, when it ruled that
On December 18, 1995, the
now-defunct Diario 16 published a
story on the confiscation of a truck loaded with hashish in southern
Higher Spanish courts
confirmed the conviction. They based their decisions on a Press Law enacted in
1966, during the Franco’s regime. Although it may sound ridiculous, the law is
still in force in
The European court ruled that “the restriction on the applicant’s freedom of expression had not been proportionate to the potential seriousness of the damage to the reputation in question,” the Vienna-based International Press Institute reported.
The recent judgment represents an important endorsement to the press based not only in my country, but all around the globe. In this regard, I must thank the Committee to Protect Journalists for supporting my case, and submitting to the court an amicus brief on my behalf in 2009.
José Luis Gutiérrrez is a columnist for the Madrid-based daily El Mundo and publisher of Leer magazine.