Juan Emilio Andújar Matos

New York, May 3, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Wednesday’s decision by a Dominican court to sentence a gang leader to 30 years in prison for the 2004 murder of local journalist Juan Emilio Andújar Matos.

A court in Azua also ordered Vladimir Pujols, leader of the drug trafficking gang “Los Sayayines,” to pay 1,300,000 pesos (US$40,945) to radio reporter Jorge Luis Sención, who witnessed the attack and was shot during a second ambush. Pujols’ lawyers told local reporters that he would appeal his conviction, according to Dominican press reports.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic suffered an acute economic and social crisis in 2004, with violent crimes occurring almost daily. Criminal gangs escalated attacks against journalists who denounced their activities.

On September 14, two gunmen on a motorcycle attacked two journalists who had reported on a criminal gang in the town of Azua, 75 miles west of the capital, Santo Domingo. Juan Emilio Andújar Matos, the host of Radio Azua's weekly show "Encuentro Mil 60" (Encounter 1060) and a correspondent for the Santo Domingo-based daily Listín Diario (Listín Daily), was shot in the head and died shortly after. Juan Sánchez, a correspondent for the Santo Domingo-based dailies El Nacional (The National) and Hoy (Today), escaped on his motorcycle and took refuge in the provincial governor's offices.

New York, September 16, 2004—A Dominican reporter was ambushed and killed by gunmen this week, moments after a radio broadcast in which he reported on a bloody crime wave that has pitted gang members against police in the southern town of Azua, according to local news reports.

Juan Emilio Andújar Matos, host of Radio Azua's weekly show "Encuentro Mil 60" ("Encounter 1060") and correspondent with the Santo Domingo-based daily Listín Diario, was killed in the September 14 attack. Jorge Luis Sención, a radio reporter who witnessed the attack, was later shot himself and lost his right forearm to amputation.