Nicanor Linhares Batista

Although Brazilian media outlets generally operate in a free environment, they have increasingly been targeted with defamation lawsuits that seek to silence them. Judicial interference and censorship, under the guise of protecting privacy and honor, continues unabated.

New York, January 2, 2004—A total of 36 journalists were killed worldwide as a direct result of their work in 2003, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). This is a sharp increase from 2002, when 19 journalists were killed. The war in Iraq was the primary reason for the increase, as 13 journalists,…

New York, July 2, 2003—At least two unidentified men killed Nicanor Linhares Batista, host of a radio show and owner of a radio station in Brazil’s northeastern state of Ceará. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is investigating whether the murder was related to Nicanor’s journalistic work. Nicanor, 42, was the owner of Rádio Vale…

Nova York, 2 de junho de 2003—Ao menos dois sujeitos não identificados mataram Nicanor Linhares Batista, apresentador de um programa de rádio e proprietário de uma emissora de rádio no estado do Ceará. O Comitê para a Proteção dos Jornalistas (CPJ, por sua sigla em inglês) investiga se o assassinato está vinculado com o trabalho…